His Reincarnated Princess
by DawnsLight827
Summary: It's been three years since Evelyn Carnahan was almost sacrificed by Imhotep in Hamunaptra. Though having planned to never go back, unforeseen events force her to return to Hamunaptra where she not only once again encounters Imhotep, but also learns two shocking truths. One: that she is a reincarnated princess and Two: that Imhotep seeks to claim her as his.
1. Chapter 1: Three Years Later

In an old ancient crumbling Egyptian city, a scholar of more than fair beauty stood in a dark cobwebbed stone hall before a dusty, muted gold door. Taking a dusting brush from her archeological excavation kit, a beautiful Evelyn Carnahan brushed built up dust off the pictures and hieroglyphs that were on the door. Evelyn was deeply intrigued with her work. She still loved doing archeological explorations and ancient Egyptian studies even after her frightening experience three years ago. Who knew that the odd dangerous adventure with a resurrected cursed mummy named Lord Imhotep and almost getting sacrificed to help bring back to life a dead ancient Egyptian concubine could have made her so much stronger? Evelyn felt that a whole new world was opened to her now that she knew that ancient Egyptian curses and magic existed. She had experienced that first hand.

Now three years later after that experience, Evelyn was more confident, strong ,patient and persevering. She was also more beautiful. The shyness and soft guarded librarian clothing style was gone and replaced with an outgoing, more confident and bolder style. The long ankle skirts and soft colored blouses with neck ties were gone. Instead Evelyn liked to wear brown slim pants, knee high boots and either desert style tops or sleeveless tee shirts. Whenever she wore a dress, it was usually of exotic Egyptian style with flowing cloth and ornamental jewelry. She enjoyed dressing in the more freer ways. The librarian look had been because back then she had sort of been timid and self- conscious. She hadn't tried to enjoy her beauty because she hadn't thought she really had any. Now she found enjoyment in trying to make her-self look more beautiful.

Evelyn leaned closer to the door and blew on the figures on the door she was uncovering. The last of the fine dust blew away and Evie studied what she had uncovered. It was a picture of a woman wearing a wrap skirt and bikini top. She had shoulder blade length hair and wore a mask that included a headdress. Evie moved her fingers to start to touch the woman's hands and what she held in them.

"Sai daggers." Evie spoke aloud to herself. Her fingers came against the cold muted gold door and suddenly her whole body shuddered making her close her eyes. Brief colorful images blurred through her mind as if she was watching a movie. She got a flash of a beautiful woman dressed in the finest Egyptian clothing she had ever seen. Evie couldn't see the woman's face very clearly but she felt like she recognized her or knew who she was. Then that image was gone and a new one replaced it. This image was of two finely dressed women holding sai daggers in their hands and facing each other in a sparing stance. Just as suddenly as it had appeared in her mind, it abruptly vanished.

Evie's eyes opened. Quickly she took her fingers away from the image on the door. A sudden sound made Evie whirl about face, her heart now racing in her chest. Her hands immediately went to her hidden knife behind her belt and she whipped it out automatically, holding it in a defensive positon. She relaxed when she saw Rick O'Connell come through the archway and into the hall she was in.

"Whoa Evie! It's just me." Rick O'Connell's eyebrows rose and he had an amused look on his face.

Evelyn gave a slight smile and let her hand holding the knife drop to her side. She took that moment to observe Rick thoughtfully. He looked about the same as he always did. Rough, sort of rude and yet he held a sense of charm at the same time. His skin was a dark tan from all the time he spent out in the desert sun of Egypt. Her own skin was almost a sort of light bronze tan herself. Their time out in the desert was vast since they were almost always out and about on their own excavations and journeys throughout Egypt. Rick and Jonathon, her brother, had tried to get her to stay and keep working at the Cairo museum of Antiquities but she no longer desired to remain behind closed doors in stuffy old rooms seeing nothing but old books and parchments. Evelyn hungered to be out exploring and discovering all the wonders of ancient Egypt that there was to uncover and explore. It was not that she desired gold and treasure like her brother did, she valued the knowledge of all the ancient history and artifacts. There was so much more to learn and enjoy buried beneath all these sands of Egypt. Jonathon still kept trying to persuade her to return to Cairo but Rick understood and so therefore he didn't mind going about on excavations with her.

Rick started walking down the sandy dark hallway toward her holding his torch. "Even though I gave that to you and taught you how to use it, be careful when you wield that thing. Ok?" He said the first part with a smile but then as he uttered the last sentence, his smile faded.

Ever since Evie had almost been sacrificed by the mummy Lord Imhotep three years ago, Rick had been more concerned and watchful over her well-being than ever before. Evelyn knew that it was because he cared for her safety but it had been getting on her nerves that he didn't think she could handle things herself. So hoping he would ease up on being so overly concerned, she had persuaded him to show her how to use and handle a knife.

Rick's initial thoughts had been that it was too dangerous for her. However Evie had pointed out how it might be more dangerous if she didn't know how to use one and defend herself. Rick had agreed at that point and not only showed her how to use a knife but he also had taught her how to hand fight and shoot a gun with accuracy. This all just made Evelyn feel more confident. If necessary she could take care of herself and defend herself efficiently. She wasn't just quite and naïve librarian Evie anymore. She was now a woman who could hold her own.

Evie gave Rick a firm look.

"I am always careful." She replied as she tucked her knife back behind her belt.

Rick set his ruck sack down on the sand beside hers. "You weren't careful about reading from that book."

Evie titled her head in a sort of aggravated way and gave a sigh. "You always have to keep reminding me that everything that happened was my fault. Ok so it was all me, me, me, I, I, I but lets look at the good side of this. Everything is fine now and has been for three years."

Rick moved beside her and observed the door she had been working on cleaning. "And everything will be fine longer if we make sure that we don't disturb anything else or desecrate another tomb." He ran his pointer finger across the dust covered door.

Evie looked back at her work and took up brushing the dust off again. This time she focused on cleaning off the hieroglyphics so she could decipher them. "Well we know more now. We don't underestimate curses or magic anymore. We won't disturb what shouldn't be disturbed."

Rick turned his head to her. "We?"

He shook his head. "No it wasn't a 'we' it was a 'you'. I wasn't the one who didn't believe in curses or magic. It was you who didn't believe in anything unless you can see it or touch it."

There was noisy movement, grumbling and shouting from outside the archway in another hall. The footsteps sounded clumsy and heavy like the person was staggering or trying to keep from tripping.

"Where the bloody 'ell is everyone?" Came a slurred yell.

"We are in here Jonathon! The archway to your right." Evie called out.

There was more stumbling.

"Which way is my right?" Jonathon asked really to himself but was talking so loud that Rick and Evie heard him.

Evie shot a pointed look to Rick. "What has he been doing? How can he get into trouble out here in the desert?"

Rick grinned. "You should know. He is your brother that 'good ole boy' is." Rick said, mimicking Jonathon's turn of phrase.

Evie gave him a moderate slug on the arm. "Go help him in here."

Rick gave a large amused grin and started for the archway.

"And don't give him anymore drink!" Evie called after Rick who just then disappeared through the archway into the other hall. Rick didn't have to tell her that it was he who had brought the alcohol and that Jonathon had managed to discover it. Evie had told them not to bring any hoping that they could remain civilized men for a while. But obviously that hadn't worked so great. There was really no helping it. Jonathon was always a drinker, cheater at cards and sort of a coward at times.

Evie sighed. Yes that was her brother. Good ole Jonathon. At least he was predictable so she knew what to expect from him. Lately it was Rick that she wasn't sure what to expect from. Usually he seemed his same old self but there were times when she caught him watching her with concerned eyes.

Evie gave another sigh. After they had escaped crumbling Hamunaptra those three years ago, it seemed that her and Rick were on a course for love and happiness through the rest of their lives. It had gone that way for a while. Rick would wrap her in his arms lovingly and she would feel her heart start to pound. They had told each other sweet endearments of always being there for one another. It had seemed that they were going to get married and have a grand life together. Rick did sit down with her and they talked over it. It was the talk however that showed what they didn't see...they weren't ready to be together forever and they might never be.

Evie could see that night in her mind. She could hear their words again that they had spoken in the conversation.

 _"_ _Evie, I want to talk to you about us." Rick had said as they set down side by side on a sofa in her home in Cairo._

 _Evie had felt her breath catch. This was it, she thought. Her rescuer was going to become her prince forever. "Yes? What about us Rick?" Rick's large hand held her own in a warm grasp._

 _"_ _You need a protector. Someone who can always be around to get you out of trouble that you always get yourself into." Rick said with a teasing grin._

 _His words were teasing but affected her more than she thought. A protector? That sounded nice as of a way of him saying I want to take care of you because I care for you. What started to slowly sizzle in her was his talk of trouble. Evie couldn't deny that she did get into a good bit of trouble but she wasn't always the only one to get herself into it! It made him seem like he was saying that she just couldn't do anything right or was too clumsy or clueless about her own good. So already she was starting to bristle._

 _"_ _Ever since Hamunaptra I want to be there with you to keep you safe. I care for you Evie. You certainly are a one of a kind person. Would you think about marrying me?" Rick asked with somewhat of a romantic sense but not truly the best romantic way to say it._

 _Evie felt herself cooling down. She smiled at him. "If I do think about it...what do you see for us?" She was hoping and wanting him to tell of a future together where they both wanted to adventure out on excursions and_ _would work for their living together._

 _Rick's gaze held hers, still holding her hand in his. "If you marry me then we can get a house together. I could pick up an old job and you could stay at the home and raise our kid if we have one. You wouldn't have to work anymore or try to impress those pompous scholars. And maybe we can travel, like go to America for a bit and then come back here."_

 _Evie went still. There was so much in what he just said that she wasn't sure where to start! Obviously they did not have the same plans and ideas for the future. She pulled her hand out of Rick's making a surprised and confused expression appear on his face. "Rick of all the insane, crazy, male chauvinistic, unintelligent, egotistical, boorish ideas!"_

 _Evie continued before Rick could say anything. Rick recognized her attitude and tone. He had heard this side of her plenty times before when they had first met._

 _"_ _I will not just stay at the house all day being a boring housewife! You can not just place me about where ever you wish like an old carpet bag! Why should I stop my Egyptian studies and archeological studies_ _and you be the only job holder! You are acting like a chauvinist Rick!_ _And those scholars may be pompous but I love my work. I do not wish to leave Cairo. Egypt runs through my veins it is my home and I dare not leave it." Evie objected very quickly and forcefully._

 _Rick could see that this was one of those times where to win he would just have to dominate over her. Usually though that didn't even work. Instead of making it better she would get more fired up than before. Evie hated being pushed around like as if she knew nothing. She was always telling of how she could be just as intelligent and more so than a man. Rick felt like just picking her up, taking her to her room and locking her in until she would see his reason and calm down. However he knew that he couldn't do that._

The more they had gotten into the deep conversation, the more she started to see that even though they cared for one another there were things about them both that couldn't be solved. Some of their differences were to vast that even their feelings for each other couldn't overcome. So they ended up both agreeing that they still would always mean something to each other but their relationship wasn't going to go further or deeper than that. Her and Rick had ended their relationship a year ago and so far they had managed to just be good friends ever since.

For a long while after their agreement to end their relationship, Evie had kept going through in her mind as to why it had looked so promising for her and Rick but then wasn't. It was because of everything that happened with Hamunaptra. They had gotten caught up in their roles in the tale all to easily. She had been the damsel in distress while Rick had been her rescuer. It had inspired feelings for each other during those events more than they might have on their own. But all of that was over and now they were all settled in their new way of life. One that Evie delighted in, Rick enjoyed and Jonathon didn't always care for but could be happy enough at times when they were to come across something of wealth.

There were shuffling sounds from the hallway as Rick was helping Jonathon. Evie could hear Jonathon's clumsy fumbles and heavy breathing. He was muttering and complaining that there was not enough whiskey or companionship around ancient Egyptian ruins so he wanted to go back to Cairo where there was plenty. And where they had stored all of their gold that they had gotten from Hamunaptra.

The gold was theirs thanks to Beni. Evie had stashed the majority of her share in a vault in her home. Rick had done the same in his shared home with Jonathon though Rick had spent a bit of it on a gallivanting trip to every cashaba . Jonathon had spent most of his doing the very same thing only more so. Evie knew that it wouldn't be long till Jonathon used up all of his share and when he did she wasn't going to give him more of hers than would be enough to account the cost for his living. For she would be watching him to make sure that he didn't spend the gold she gave him on the very hobbies that he lost his to.

"I'm just sayin why don't we go back to Cairo? We haven't found much of treasure or wealth here at all." Jonathon was saying as he was brought in by Rick who was having to help support him so he wouldn't fall over.

Evie turned around from the door to look back at her hopeless brother. Jonathon held a almost empty bottle of whiskey in his right hand and his left arm was across Rick's shoulders. Rick and her exchanged amused and sort of aggravated looks.

"Jonathon we have already discussed this. It wasn't and isn't like we have been dragging you around with us on our expeditions. I enjoy you being here with us but if you really desire it, go back to Cairo and waste the rest of your life away drinking and cheating. I wish you wouldn't though. It is not really good for you Jonathon." Evie told him watching her brother sway slightly.

No matter how disreputable or cowardice her brother was, he was her brother and she cared for him very much. Jonathon was the only close family that she had left. Her distant family lived in London, England and were the very proper type. A few aunts kept trying to get her to come live with them in London so she could take up a proper role in society there with them, but Evie didn't want a life in dreary London among gossipy relatives and socialites.

Jonathon glanced up at his sister. His expression showed that her words had pierced his foggy mind. Jonathon tried to stand up on his own so Rick stepped away for Jonathon to fend for himself. Jonathon swayed and teetered. Evie started toward him but Jonathon managed to stay up.

"Now my dear baby sister, I was only complaining to complain. You know me old mum. There is always something that won't sit right with me. I do not blame you." Jonathon said and then hiccupped.

"Then might you try to show what ever enjoyment you do have in being here? You make yourself sound so gloomy lumbering around here like you do as if you were not getting to participate in a once in a life time expedition. Might anything help to get you away from drinking?" Evie asked him looking again at the almost empty whiskey bottle.

"From my drink." Rick muttered the correction while casting a annoyed look at Jonathon.

"Gold, treasure and wealth is the only other things in life I seek. No one can ever be too wealthy, especially not me." Jonathon said with a hungry glint in his eye for what he spoke of and a silly grin on his face.

Evie shook her head with a small smile. She turned away from them back around to the muted gold door. Taking up brushing again she started to uncover more pictures and hieroglyphs. The pictures were of a pharaoh and a beautiful woman that was depicted as a princess. The woman was the same one that was in the other picture holding the sai daggers.

"Hmm." Evie said softly, her curiosity further increased.

Rick stepped over to her side and looked at the pictures and hieroglyphs on the door. "This is what drew you here? This is why you wanted to come to this place?"

"Yes, I believe so. " Evie replied. "I am almost positive that it is."

Rick's eyebrows rose as he looked to her. "You believe it is?"

Evie realized how silly what she was going to tell him would sound. It sounded silly and maybe crazy to herself. She looked up to him.

"Five weeks ago I started having dreams. Ancient Egyptian dreams. They sometimes seem so real and detailed that they seem like they are more than a merely dreams. There are people in them that seem very important to me somehow. I feel like I should know who they are but I do not. Usually the same people are in them at one point or another and then in other dreams there are different people in them all together. At the end of every dream I see this city. That was why I wanted to come. I feel drawn to it although I do not know why." Evie waited for his expression feeling silly. She wondered what this ex-legionnaire would think.

Rick had an amused, sort of surprised expression as if he wasn't sure whether to laugh or think her crazy. However Rick wouldn't think her crazy. He could never think of Evie that way.

"So that is why you wanted to come here so bad. I couldn't understand why before." Rick shrugged.

Evie thoughtfully looked at the pictures and hieroglyphs again. Meanwhile Jonathon went to lean against a wall.

"Are you sure that you haven't been drinking a bit old mum?" Jonathon teased from behind them.

Evie gave a huff and looked back to him. "I would never, Jonathon!"

Rick was looking at the pictures. "So what is this? What does it say?" He asked then froze.

He looked to her. "Make sure that it is alright to be read aloud before you do. We don't want any type of events getting repeated again."

Evie nodded and looked to the hieroglyphs. She put her finger under them as she read them first over in her mind. "It is alright. It is not a curse, chant or spell. It speaks of praises for a Pharaoh and his daughter. "

Moving her finger back to the beginning she moved under them again reading aloud.

" _Great Pharaoh Seti I is a immortal amongst mortals. His rule is wise. His actions worthy of praise. He builds up Egypt and makes it cities shine again. Pharaoh Seti I gifted grand Egypt with a blessed princess that is sure to make even the gods desire to sing praise to her. Princess Nefertiri is a most beautiful woman of all the times. She inspires hope, love, loyalty and strength in everything. Most promising she is already at her age. A beauty that is precious to all. May Pharaoh Seti I and Princess Nefertiri be blessings for eternity_."

Evie leaned back and looked at the depictions of Pharaoh Seti I and the princess Nefertiri. The depictions however were not so clear as to see every detail. Evie knew more about Pharaoh Seti than the princess Nefertiri. There was not much history on the princess.

While Evie had been reading, Jonathon had come up behind them to listen and observe the door himself. It seemed that the drink might be starting to slowly wear off. His voice though just behind her startled Evie.

"Pharaoh Seti I, hmm? He was the one that you once said was the most wealthiest of all the ancient Pharaohs right?" Jonathon looked to Evie. "Isn't that Seti's gold in Hamunaptra? All that gold in the big underground chamber?"

Evie nodded. "Yes most of it."

"I really could use all of that gold. I wish we could have gotten more of it. Why don't we just go back and try to get some?" Jonathon asked, his eyes glinting with gold fever.

Evie and Rick simultaneously looked at Jonathon with surprise. Rick gave a small scoffing laugh.

"After all that we dealt with while we were in Hamunaptra, the mummies, scarabs and collapsing city that nearly could have killed us all, you out of all people want to go back? Jonathon you were always the one most horrified. You couldn't go back to that sunken dead city even with the lure of the vast amount of gold there." Rick stated with mixed expressions of a smile and a wincing remembrance.

Jonathon had paled at the mention of all the dangers that they had been through at that amazing yet deadly city. He took a breath and shook his head. "No, I guess you are right. I wouldn't go back there willingly. Though I sure do wish we had more of that gold. I'm running out of mine."

Evie shrugged her arms in a exasperated way. "Jonathon that is because you spend and use it all up on disreputable things. Instead of saving it and storing up your own wealth, you have just lost what you had for mere flitting pleasures that are not good for you."

Jonathon just looked like a boy getting scolded by its mother. He winced but then seemed nonchalant. "Evie, you know me..." He stopped though as all three of them heard sounds of unexpected company in the halls of the ruins.

Jonathon stumbled and moved back away from the archway and toward Rick and Evie. He still clutched the whiskey bottle but looked like he was ready to run. Rick reached into his holsters and pulled out his two pistols. Evie looked to Rick who gave her a glance before all three of them looked to the archway. Jonathon pulled out his own small mini pistol from his pants pocket. They were not expecting anyone to be out here. Who was it that was now inside the ruins of the city with them? Friend or foe?


	2. Chapter 2:The Door

The sound of sand shifting under several feet sounded down the hall outside the archway. Whoever it was were getting closer and heading this way. As the sound of them coming closer grew more audible, Evie could hear distinguish the movement of fabric, and metallic clinks that she could only really associate with the sound of a un-drawn sword or saber clinking against a person's body. Then there were a few whispered words speaking softly in Arabic.

A man all dressed in black came in through the archway and stopped, followed by a few more men behind him. Evie recognized the desert black robes they were wearing as the official clothing of the Med-Jai. They wore their turbans with cloth veiling their faces.

The man who had entered first was observing her in the same manner that she was studying him for Evie thought that he looked awfully familiar. The man's eyes were a deep brown that seemed like dark warm pools which she might be pulled into if she dared to stare into them too long. Raising his hand, he pulled his veil down showing his face. Now there was no mistaking the wavy black shoulder length hair, the black ink Med-Jai facial tattoos across both cheeks and forehead, nor the angular desert chiseled handsome face.

"Ardeth." Evie said not able to withhold the surprise in her voice as he maintained his gaze on her.

Jonathon relaxed and lowered his small gun but still held it in his hands. He put a hand to his chest over his heart and gave a whoosh of air in relief. Rick, all though he did not shoot, took a menacing step forward.

"What are you doing here?" Rick demanded from Ardeth.

Ardeth's gaze broke with Evie's when he looked away from her and took in all three of them before coming back to O'Connell. Ardeth's lips looked slightly chapped but he didn't seemed bothered by it. The fact that Ardeth was here and the way he was standing there as if he had a difficult task to do, alerted Evie. Something was not right. Ardeth would not have come just to visit. He always had more important things to do than have time for that.

"O'Connell." Ardeth nodded his head toward Rick in a respective friendly way as was his custom. "The Med-Jai have need for your assistance."

Rick, Evie and Jonathon all three looked taken aback by this.

"Since when did the Med-Jai need our help?" Rick asked with an underlying cut toward the Med-Jai. All three of them had learned and seen that the people of Med-Jai thought themselves guardians and protectors. They were not the type of people to ask for help from anyone other than other Med-Jai's.

Jonathon waved his hand, the one still clutching the nearly empty whiskey bottle. "Yeah, I mean what can we do to help? We cannot do anything."

Evie looked to Jonathon and gave him a swat on the arm. "Speak for yourself Jonathon."

She looked back up to Ardeth and the Med-Jai behind him. Ardeth gave a small smile at her and Jonathon's exchange. Evie met Ardeth's gaze. "Though I am curious as to what it could be that you would come to us for help." Evie remarked curiously.

Ardeth's small smile disappeared. His gaze shifted between each of them in turn. "Hamunaptra."

Rick, Evie and Jonathon froze and just stared back at Ardeth with a small kindling of anxiousness although on Jonathon's part it was terror. Just the mere name of that city sent a shiver of anxiety throughout her body. They had just been talking of the city and had done so without this reaction because they had been speaking of it without worry of having to ever be troubled by that place ever again. But for the Med-Jai to be here and from Ardeth's mention of Hamunaptra, they all knew that something similar to what they had experienced three years ago could very well reoccur.

Rick let his guns fall to his side. "What about Hamunaptra?" He asked as if he really didn't want to know or even go there in a conversation.

Jonathon, pale as a sheet, shook his head. "Nope sorry old boys but we've decided that we are not going to go back. You don't have to worry about us doing that again. We've taken to safer methods of adventures thank you very much."

Ardeth looked to Jonathon. "This is not just an adventure. There is trouble and danger in Hamunaptra." He looked to each of them. "There is a force there that was awoken and we have no knowledge of how to stop it."

Evie tried to speak but had to swallow first. "What kind of force?"

"Is it our old buddy Imhotep?" Rick asked putting his guns away.

Ardeth shook his head. "No so far the creature remains undead. This force is of a different type. About two weeks ago suddenly the city rose from the sands and is standing again. A day later and a small group of archeologists and slave diggers entered Hamunaptra. We waited for nightfall and then entered to drive them out. When we got there, there was a being among them that has mystical powers. He is a priest of Seth. His powers are few but effective. No one can get close enough to kill him. We are unsure of why he is here or what he seeks but we are certain that it is for evil intentions and he needs to be stopped."

"The city just popped up from the sand?" Rick asked sarcastically.

Ardeth shook his head. "I am not sure how it arose. It was just there upon the rising of the sun like it used to be before the city sunk."

"It was a switch." Evie said her thought aloud. She had been looking down at the sandy floor but she looked up and saw that they all were looking at her and waiting for an explanation. "In Hamunaptra there was a switch that could sink the city into the sands and bury it. But there also is a switch that will raise the city once again. I do not know where the switch is but the archeologist must have found it. So either the archeologist didn't believe the city was a myth and just happened to come across it or somehow the archeologist must have already known of the city."

"If only we had believed it was a myth." Jonathon muttered.

Evie looked over at Jonathon with a sad small smile, sharing his sentiment.

"What about this priest he is talking about? Why does he have powers?" Rick asked Evie.

Evie looked up and over to Rick. "In the ancient times there were priests for every god and goddess. You see priests are chosen people and can be chosen at any time. So for a priest to serve and live today, that person was chosen by the god and made into a priest. So he must have been chosen by Seth or Set as the god of chaos can be called, for a purpose." Evie shook her head. "I am not sure about the powers. The only reason Imhotep had his was because of the HomDai. This priest must have gotten these powers from the god Seth himself."

Evie shrugged at their stares. She knew that it sounded 'out there' but it was the only reasonable explanation she had.

"It is not your task but we ask that you assist us." He looked pointedly at Evelyn. "You answered questions we could not. You have a good value of knowledge about these things that we do not possess. We would greatly value your help."

"And what if we do not want to help? Nothing personal Ardeth but it is not our problem. Why should we risk it?" Rick asked.

Ardeth now swerved his gaze to Rick. His eyes relayed the seriousness. "If this evil force is not stopped, it has power to do what it will. If it desires so it could go about causing destruction."

"So it is everybody's problem." Evie stated remembering how she had said the same thing to Rick in Cairo when Imhotep was a huge possibility of world destruction.

Ardeth nodded to her. "Will you come with us?"

Evie looked around to Jonathon. He still looked quite anxious and not at all thrilled at the possibility that they were going to back and get themselves into more life threatening danger. Jonathon though held that look in his eyes that told Evie that he would go where ever she went and do what he could to help her. Evelyn looked around to Rick. He had a grim displeased expression but seemed to know the inevitableness of the fact that they needed to go.

Evie gave a brief nod. "We will come and do what we can."

"Good, we thank you." Ardeth turned around to the Med-Jai behind him and spoke to them in Arabic. The Med-Jai turned and exited out the archway.

"How did you find us? Have you had someone watch us?" Rick asked, narrowing his eyebrows.

Ardeth looked back to Rick and nodded. "Two young Med-Jai have. We send out the young ones on small tasks to gain experience. I knew that you three were out on expeditions and told the two young ones to keep track of you. When this arose and we decided to find you, we were glad that we had someone who knew where you were."

Jonathon, now less pale and more himself, stepped forward toward Ardeth. "Did you have to scare us? You should have just called out and let us know it was you. We could have shot you."

Ardeth smiled and whipped out his scimitar in a flash. "I doubt it."

Jonathon made a gulp then after a moment gave a wry smile. "I am going to go find where I left my things. Obviously I will need to get them before we leave." Jonathon left through the arch still clutching the neck of the whiskey bottle with only two gulps left in it.

Ardeth put away his scimitar with an amused smile.

Evie turned back around and looked at the gold muted door that had been her focus earlier. She heard footsteps and someone leave but she didn't look around to see who. She was dying to know what lay on the other side of this door. Would it just be more halls? Would there be magnificent pictures, depictions and hieroglyphs still in great shape? Evie could tell that this door had not been opened since probably the ancient days when this city teemed with its greatness.

Suddenly Evie felt a presence directly to her right.

"Did you intend to seek this out or did you find it?"

Evie looked to her side quickly to see Ardeth standing there looking over the door. She tried to calm her heart that had temporarily sped up when he had surprised her. Evie felt drawn to this man. She found him interesting for this dark, handsome warrior was different than anyone she had ever met. The only other two men who she had ever thought of in that sense were Rick and Imhotep.

Evie immediately halted her thoughts right there afraid of where her mind was headed. Why did she find herself thinking of him at times? Trying to clear thoughts of Imhotep, Evie shook her head and looked to the door.

"I did not know for certain that it was here. I wasn't sure what I was coming here seeking but this is it. Something about this draws me to it." Evie said tracing the lines of the depictions again of Pharaoh Seti and Princess Nefertiri with her fingers.

Evie's eyes closed of their own accord and she suddenly saw the door as it must have been in the ancient times. The gold was bright and shone, not muted by age or dust. She saw a woman dressed in white and gold approach the door. This woman in white was someone she had not yet ever seen in her dreams before.

Evie watched as the woman moved her hand to the hieroglyphics. The woman pressed down all the hieroglyphics that made Princess Nefertiri's name. The name sunk into the door like buttons being pressed and the woman moved down to press in the figure of the princess Nefertiri. Then with a grinding sound, the door cracked open. The image in her mind vanished and she was standing again looking at the muted gold door.

Ardeth had noticed that something was occurring and that her eyes had closed. "Evelyn?"

Evie looked to him and found him looking at her with concerned eyes. "When are we to leave for Hamunaptra?"

Ardeth seemed a bit surprised at this sudden question but answered. "We will stay here tonight and leave before the dawn while the air is still cool."

Evie nodded. She looked around and saw that Rick was gone. "Where did Rick go?"

"He has gone to help start camp for tonight. We will go outside to them." Ardeth stated.

Evie shook her head. "Not yet. I want to stay. I have to learn more of this before I retire for the night."

"You wish to open this? Some things are meant to be left untouched." Ardeth said with a hint of wise advice.

Evie didn't want to tell Ardeth of her dreams. It had made her feel silly enough telling Rick. She didn't want to make herself look silly in front of the warrior. But she knew that she was meant to open this even if she couldn't explain it or understand it herself. "No. I sense no danger with this."

Evie reached up and moved to push down the first button of Princess Nefertiri's name. It sunk in with a click. Ardeth looked surprised that she could do this. Evie moved to the next place of the name and pressed it in. Then she moved her hand down and pressed in the depiction of Princess Nefertiri. Just like in her dream, there was a grinding sound and the door opened a crack enough for her to slide her hand in. Evie tried to pull it open but it barely moved.

Ardeth put his hands in the crack of the door and together they pulled it open. With it open Ardeth looked to her with amazement. "How did you know to do this?"

Evie shrugged. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Then she went over to the wall beside her ruck sack and got an already lit torch. Ardeth went to the opposite wall and grabbed one as well. He came to stand back beside her at the entrance to the open doorway.

"I will not let you enter alone. I will go with you." Ardeth said.

Evie nodded to him grateful. She didn't particularly fear anything was going to happen but as she had discovered in Hamunaptra, you could never believe you were safe when there is a possibility of traps and unforeseen dangers lurking about.


	3. Chapter 3: What Belongs To Thee

Evelyn stepped through the doorway and into a hall. Holding her torch high she was amazed at what she saw. There were colorful pictures and hieroglyphics all along the small hall, which was big enough for two people to walk side by side. Evie went over to the left wall and let her eyes roam over all the colorful pictures and hieroglyphics. As she slowly moved down the hall looking over them, she could see that the majority of people depicted were Pharaoh Seti and Princess Nefertiri. Then she came across a scene of a throne room. Seated in his Pharaohs' throne was Seti. Nefertiri sat in a smaller throne near Seti's with multiple servants and even a few Med-Jai positioned around them. The next figure she came across made her freeze on the spot. Evie blinked her eyes and shook her head wondering if she was seeing it right.

Ardeth had been on the other side of the hall but then moved over to be beside her. He saw her shake her head disbelievingly so he looked from her to the scene wondering what it was that was bothering her. "What is it Evelyn?"

Evie nodded her head at the scene, her gaze latched on the figure that was familiar even if it wasn't very detailed.

"Imhotep." Evie stated her mind whirling. She felt a strange sensation pass through her at just saying his name. It made her think once again of something that never seemed to pass from her mind, something that she tried to avoid thinking about.

During that time three years ago when Imhotep was awake, there had been two times during that time that their lips had met in a kiss. The first time was when he had snuck into her locked bedroom while she slept. He had sat down beside her on the bed, leaned down and began kissing her causing her to startle awake. Then the second time had been in the desert near Hamunaptra. Imhotep had used his awesome powers to raise up a wall of solid sand from the desert and consume the airplane that Rick, Jonathon, Ardeth and a man named Winston was on. Evie had wanted to stop him and knew to do that she needed to distract him so she had gone over to him, turned him around and kissed him. What had shocked her and now still surprised her even to this day, was that she had kissed him plainly without emotion yet Imhotep responded and gave her a passionate kiss.

Evie could still remember the feel of his lips on hers and the way he kissed her. His kiss had been unlike any other she had ever experienced and it had given her feelings that she never had before. Shockingly his kiss had been full of emotion, which puzzled her. Why would Imhotep kiss her as if he cared about her or loved her? He had been there to resurrect his old love Anck-su-namun so why had he seemed loving to her? At that time she hadn't been sure of what to make of it, much less now. So that was why as soon as the sand fell back to the ground she had pulled away from him. To this day it still puzzled Evie but she made it a habit to just push it aside and try not to think on it. Though it was difficult for it always loved to come back up again.

Ardeth looked to the scene and started observing each figure one by one. Then he came to the figure Evelyn spoke of. It indeed was the mummy lord. He wore the priest of Osiris robes and the same amulet around his neck that he had been wearing when he had risen three years ago. The priest Imhotep stood to the side of Seti with his gold painted priests standing attentively around him. Imhotep's attention however was focused on Seti and the princess Nefertiri.

Evie shook her head in wonder. "I always knew of course about Imhotep and Seti knowing each other, but I guess I never took the time to think that Imhotep had known the princess as well."

Evie looked to Ardeth. "There is not much history on the Princess Nefertiri all though she was said to be loved by all. I have always been curious as to what happened that someone so loved and cherished by the people could not have been more written down in history and made to last."

Evie looked back to the wall returning her attention to the figure of the finely dressed Nefertiri before moving her gaze over to the figure of Imhotep. "This was before Imhotep and Anck-su-namun killed Seti. Imhotep at this point in the scene had not yet endured the HomDai." Evie paused, thoughtfully. "Imhotep lived in her time and knew her. He would know more about her than anyone."

Evie stepped back away from the wall and turned around to the opposite wall. Holding her torch high she looked at these pictures. This wall was all pictures of Princess Nefertiri. Scenes of the princess being served by her servants, of her in the throne room, of her at feasts and participating in rituals. These pictures with their color showed more what the princess looked like but the drawings can't take up every detail and do it justice. Yet even from the drawings, anyone could see that the princess had to be beautiful. It gave Evie a funny feeling as she looked at one large picture of the princess, who looked so familiar that it was uncanny.

Ardeth came over to her side again. He was looking at the same picture Evelyn was for he commented on it. "For just a drawing, the princess looks a lot like you Evelyn." Ardeth said with wonder.

Evie could just nod with the same amount of wonder. It was true. The princess did look like her, or rather she looked like the princess.

"You both are very beautiful." Ardeth commented slowly looking over to Evie.

Evie felt her cheeks slightly redden. She brushed her loose hair behind her ear and gave him a shy smile. She had never would have thought that she would be called beautiful, especially by this desert warrior.

"Thank you." Evie gave him a quick appreciative glance but then looked away from him and down the hall. Evie did not see it but Ardeth smiled at her reaction.

Evie started down the dark hall now ready to discover whatever lay at its end. She went carefully and slowly trying to keep out an eye for anything odd. Ardeth followed silently, carefully and stealthily behind her. The hall didn't continue for very long. It was actually a short hall for it opened up into a circular room. Evie stepped into it and looked around. A strange, sort of sickening feeling came over her. The air felt heavy and full of something, for it was affecting her.

As she stood there trying to keep her breathing even and not let herself feel more sick, Ardeth noticed fire stands that were arranged along the walls of the circular room. He went over to the first and lit it with his torch. There were more fire stands than were needed to give off adequate light so instead of lighting them all, Ardeth started to pass up several to only go light a few but Evelyn felt compelled to call to him.

"They should all be lit in order." Evie stated. She couldn't explain it but as Ardeth had started to pass some of the stands, she had felt sicker.

Ardeth stopped and looked back at her with a confused expression. He could not deny that obviously something was happening to her that neither he nor she understood but he did not doubt her wisdom. Evelyn had always had a keen sense and intelligence when it came to all things that were ancient Egyptian. With a nod he backed up to the second fire stand and went about lighting them all one by one in order. The last one brought him full circle back around to Evie.

Evie remained where she was, her torch still in her hand, as she looked about the room. Gold covered the walls in sheets from the floor up to four feet. Above that, the stones were smooth and polished pictures of Princess Nefertiri, along with her name, were everywhere. In the center of the room was a stone round pillar that was about four and a half feet high. On top of it was a small square chest made of green stone .

This is what Evie focused on. She felt drawn to the chest and could sense that whatever was affecting her flowed from the chest in a steady stream.

Ardeth watched Evelyn carefully. Here in this place she seemed different. It was like she belonged in this room. The light from the dancing flames of the fire stands played across Evie making her look as if she glowed. He wished to ask her questions but he felt that now was not the time.

Evie turned to Ardeth and handed him her torch. "Would you please hold this?"

When Ardeth took it, she then slowly but surely started across the room toward the pillar with the chest. She stopped before the pillar and observed hieroglyphics in a ring around the edge of it.

Evie translated it and read it aloud. " _This pillar of stone is for only one who shall rightfully behold it. Carved for beauty to see what belongs to thee."_

"Evelyn. Are you certain that you wish to disturb this? We do not know what power is on this." Ardeth asked looking about the room to see if danger might try to befall her. If anything were to happen he would do everything he could to protect her. But was it wise to disturb what was unknown?

Evie however had a realization. Magic. Of course! That was what she was feeling in the air and all around her. Somehow she could sense the aura of magic and power. For Evie was sure that this place was full of magic. There were signs of it everywhere. In the grandness of the room, the perfect preserved untouched depictions and pictures in the hall, the pillar with the chest atop it...they all were signs of magical preservation.

Looking at the chest, Evie did not feel doom or danger. She felt that it was right that she was here. Like as if she was supposed to find this place. So she wasn't going to stop. She had to find out more and open the chest because it was calling for her to.

Evie reached out and slowly ran her finger over the top of the chest. She held her breath waiting to see what would happen. Ardeth was still, waiting as well. Nothing happened aside from a hum she was sure that she had felt go through her when she had touched the chest. Evie looked the chest over trying to see if there were any spells or incantations written on it. Finding none, Evie lifted the lid and pushed it back.

Inside the chest lay a gold bracelet. Evie reached in and picked it up. Moving it up to study it, she saw that the edges of the bracelet had green and blue gems in it. The solid gold of it had hieroglyphs on it. Evie read the writing to herself that went round the bracelet.

" _Blessed one of beauty and strength, the nature and care of Isis surrounds you and the spirit of Hathor fills you for all eternity for this to you was given. One who shall become. One who shall never end._ "

"Evelyn, what is it?" Since she was silent, Ardeth inquired upon what she had found. He could not see the bracelet very clearly since he was a short distance behind her.

Evie was awed by the bracelet, immediately enchanted by it. She unclasped it, then re-clasped it around her arm right above her wrist were it fit snugly. Evie turned around to Ardeth and held her hand up for him to see. When she did so the flames around the room all flickered and danced suddenly making the bracelet glow and shine. Then the flames calmed back down and danced quietly in their stands.

Evie took her eyes away from the bracelet to look up to Ardeth who looked wary. "It is a bracelet made of gold and gems. It has blessings and gifts from the goddesses Isis, the protector of good and Hathor, goddess of love, joy and beauty."

No longer feeling the pull to be here anymore, Evie walked forward towards Ardeth. She still loved this place but it was no longer calling to her like it previously had. Obviously it was the bracelet that she had been here to see and meant to find. Now that she had it, even though she knew not what it was for, she was ready to move on.

"I think we should return to camp now. I want to get whatever rest I can before we go back to Hamunaptra. Who knows if we will get to have time for much rest there." Evie stated. She took her torch back from Ardeth and started back down the hall.

Ardeth looked after her and then followed quickly. Something more was going on than the happenings at Hamunaptra. There was something happening with Evelyn only it seemed like even she didn't know what it was. Ardeth would have to watch her and do what he could for her. He did not want to see anything happen to her and he knew that there were two other men who felt the same way.

Evelyn returned to the room with her ruck sack and grabbed it up before her and Ardeth found their way out of the city to the outside. In the courtyards of the fallen city, fires flamed in the camp that the Med-Jai had set up. Looking around at the numerous other Med-Jai, Evie hadn't imagined that Ardeth had brought so many Med-Jai along with him. There had to be at least twenty here if not thirty. By now the sun had already set and it was dark so the only light was from the camp fires.

Ardeth did not say anything more to Evie about the bracelet. He went to one of the other Med-Jai leaders and spoke to them of their trip to come. But he kept a watch on Evelyn as she moved through the camp of Med-Jai and went over to where Rick and her brother Jonathon lounged around.

As Evie approached her brother and Rick's campfire, she heard her brother's loud snores. Stopping next to his inert form, she looked from her sleeping brother up to Rick who was using his knife to fix a pistol magazine.

"The effect of the whiskey has kicked in I presume?" Evie asked as she set down her ruck sack beside the blanket bed that someone had already put down for her.

Rick stuck the magazine back in his pistol. He nodded. "Yep about twenty minutes ago. He went out like a light and hasn't moved since." Rick put his knife away and grinned. "The only reason I know he is still alive is because of his snoring."

Evie smiled and sat down upon her blanket. The air was cooler now that the darkness of night had fully set in. The cool air refreshed her and made her feel more alive. She felt even more a part of this land as she deeply breathed in the Egyptian night air.

Evie caught Rick glancing at her. She raised her eyes to meet his. "What?"

Rick got a canteen bottle and handed it to her. Evie took it, taking a grateful swallow from it. "You and Ardeth have been inside the city for twenty minutes. What were you doing in there? I was going to go in there and find you but your brother couldn't quite stop talking long enough for me to get away."

. "I wanted to open that door and so I had told Ardeth that I wasn't going to come out to the camp yet. When I got the door open he said he wasn't going to let me go alone, so together we explored it." Evie explained before taking another drink form the canteen.

"And what was on the other side?" Rick questioned, curiously.

"There was a short hall that then opened up to a circular room where a chest made of green stone sat atop a pillar." Evie answered.

Rick groaned. "You didn't wake anything up or curse us did you?"

Evie huffed in anger. "No mister O'Connell, I did not. Oh but I did try so hard too." She stood and was about to storm away in anger but Rick spoke.

"What is that?" Curiosity filled his voice and maybe some amazement as well.

Evie stopped and looked back at him. Rick was looking down at her hand where the firelight reflected off the gold gemmed bracelet. Evie put her hand up and ran her finger over the gold with the engraved writing. "You mean this?"

Evie studied the bracelet again in the movement of the fire's light. "It was in the chest."

Rick stood up and came to her side. He held her hand and touched the bracelet looking it over in admiration. "Who did it belong to? What do the markings say?"

"The hall and room had depictions and pictures of the Princess Nefertiri. So I believe it may have been Princess Nefertiri's." Evie answered.

"Princess Nefertiri? The one that the writings on the door spoke of?" Rick asked obviously not more familiar with the name than that.

Evie nodded her head. "Yes. Princess Nefertiri was Pharaoh Seti's daughter. She was the sister to Rameses. Nefertiri was most known for her beauty and spirit. The princess was said to have been beloved by all of the people. Yet there is hardly any history or facts known about her. We do not know much of her life or what happened to her. It is like she was there and then suddenly ceased to exist. The last time she was mentioned was when she would have been in her twenties. There has not been anything further found to give any information on whether or not she married, had children or even still lived in the palace." Evie paused and looked back down at the bracelet. "I've always been curious as to what happened."

She looked back up to Rick. "I hope someday to find out what happened to Egypt's most beloved Princess."

"Mmmhmm." Rick let go of Evie's hand. "That is an interesting bracelet and it looks very valuable. You might not want to let your brother see it if you want to keep it."

Rick pointed over at Jonathon. " He will probably ask you if he can have it. It would go a long way to support his hobbies." He mentioned before going back and sitting down on his own blanket.

"Yes, well he doesn't need any more money since that is about all he uses it for. He just spends it instantly and foolishly." Evie sighed and moved back to sit down on her blanket as well. "I wonder if he will ever change."

"I doubt it." Rick stated.

Evie nodded in agreement. "I doubt it too but I am his sister and have to have confidence in him and support him. I don't think he would know what to do without me."

Rick grinned good naturedly. Evie cast her gaze up towards the night sky. Stars were starting to appear in the vast, never ending sky above. They were beautiful and soothing...and evidence that it was getting late into the night.

Evie took an extra rolled blanket and put it at the top of her bed blanket to use as a pillow. "I am going to go ahead and get some sleep. Ardeth told me that we are leaving before dawn." She laid down on her side and stretched out on her blanket trying to get comfortable. She could feel the small hills of sand under her blanket but it didn't bother her.

"Good night Evie." Rick told her still sitting up and facing the fire, apparently not ready to go to sleep just yet.

Evie rolled over turning her back to the fire. She lay still and tried to let sleep come. As she waited for sleep, Evie couldn't help but to look at her bracelet and feel its cool surface. Somehow the bracelet made her feel safe and strong. After a while, sleep finally started to spread through her and without remembering doing so, her eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4: What Is Needed

The morning rising sun was climbing steadily and the temperature was rapidly growing hotter. The desert sand dunes and hills seemed to stretch on forever but Evie knew that there was an end to it. The end of their journey across the desert would be Hamunaptra.

Evie wasn't too sure of how she felt about returning there. The last time she had been there she had witnessed terrifying things, endured crazy unreal situations and was almost killed. The city though was intriguing and amazing to the scholar, archeologist part of her. This city was said to not exist but she had been there before and was fixing to be there once again. There were so many interesting things that could be learned from exploring that city but she had learned the hard way that exploring the city could be extremely dangerous.

Evie was glad that she had gone to sleep when she had. For when the Med-Jai began to stir and get ready to leave, Rick had awoken. He had known that they were going to leave soon but thankfully he had let her sleep for a little while longer. So it wasn't until Ardeth came around to them with horses for them did Rick wake Evie up. She had woken up easily. It was Jonathon who had been hard to get up. He had a hangover from the night before and even now was dozing off atop the Arabian horse the Med-Jai had loaned him. Evie patted the white Arabian horse's neck that she rode. For being a white horse out in the desert where it could easily get dirty from the all of the sand, the horse was pretty clean and a beautiful glistening white.

Evie raised her hood up over her head to keep the sun's hot rays off her face. Before they had left she had changed into a white Egyptian top. She still wore the same knee high boots and dark tan pants but had added a few things with her top. Evie had a jangle chest belt like accessory that she over one shoulder and across her back and chest in the similar fashion that Rick and the Med-Jai wore their ammunition chest belts. Since they were going to travel in the desert, she had put on the hood and veil that matched her top. Around her head, to keep her hood in place, was a silver jangle head band that reflected the sun's light. Evie had her knife that Rick had given her tuck away behind her belt which she could use if needed but she hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Jonathon snored atop his brown Arabian on her right. Looking off to her left where Rick rode beside her on a bay Arabian, she gave him an amused smile.

"You would think that Jonathon surely would have learned his lesson on his excessive drinking, but he never seems to. He always goes right back and does it all over again." Evie shook her head, her silver jangles on her headband bobbing and twinkling. "I don't understand why you men do that."

Rick squinted in the sun looking ahead of them. They had been riding for a few hours now. Within another hour or two they would see Hamunaptra in the distance.

"That is the point Evie. You cannot understand us men because you are not one." Rick replied with the corners of his mouth in a smile.

Evie rolled her eyes in slight annoyance. Turning her attention away from him, she looked up into the sky at the position of the sun. It was close to noon. She hoped that they would arrive at Hamunaptra soon so they could finally reach their destination. Yet then again she was anxious at the same time about arriving there. After all, nothing good awaited them there.

Evie reached back to the canteen on her saddle, brought it in front of her and took the cap off. Raising it up she took a portioned drink that was just barely enough to soothe her dry mouth. Shaking it, she could tell that there was but just a little left.

There were quick hoof beats in the sand and a solid black horse came up on the other side of her. Ardeth sat atop the black Arabian with its black desert gear and apparel. His turban was on and he had the cloth across his nose and mouth as well. Ardeth pulled it down so that she and Rick could see his face as he spoke to them.

"We are fixing to come upon an oasis here in just a little bit. You can refill your canteen then." Ardeth informed them.

Evie nodded and put her canteen back on her saddle. She hadn't really wanted to say anything but she could use a quick break. The pace the Med-Jai were setting was faster than the pace that she, Rick and Jonathon took when they were traveling.

They traveled under the hot sun for about thirty more minutes until they topped a sand dune and could see the oasis in the distance. They rode to the oasis and under the shadows of the trees and bushes where it was cooler and the hot sun rays could not reach. A three foot wide by three foot deep clear stream ran through the oasis and she, Rick and Jonathon, who had finally woke up, headed for it. Evie rode her white horse toward it but stopped the graceful creature before she got there. Getting down off the horse, she walked to the stream with her horse's reins in her hands. She took her canteen off of her saddle then went back to kneel by the edge of the stream to refill her canteen.

Only a few of the Med-Jai were getting more water, the rest just sat in the shade of the trees. Having lived in the desert their whole lives, the Med-Jai could get by without as much water or rest as she, Rick and Jonathon required.

Jonathon was further downstream drinking water that he had refilled his canteen with. Obviously he was drinking it up quiet fast for he started to fill his canteen again. It seemed that since he had been out in the sun and gotten a lot of sleep, his hangover was pretty much gone now.

Rick was just a little ways upstream from her. He had already refilled his canteen and was putting it back on his saddle. Evie spotted Ardeth under the shade of a large tree talking with several of his fellow Med-Jai brothers. Watching them converse, she couldn't help but wonder what had occurred in the handsome Med-Jai's life after the sinking of Hamunaptra.

Evie stood and put her canteen back on her saddle before she went just a short distance over to a tree close by the stream. Here she sat down in the sand in the shade with her horse nearby. She closed her eyes trying to better feel, enjoy and absorb the coolness that the shade gave. After a few moments, there was the sound of approaching footsteps that made her open her eyes.

Rick came toward her leading his bay horse. He stopped it, dropped the reins and came to stand by her. Evie looked up to him as he towered over her. Rick pulled a small dagger from his belt.

"Here I want you to take this." Rick stated with it on his open palm, offering it to her.

"Why? I already have the knife you gave me that I keep on my belt." Evie questioned.

"I know but this one is for you to keep in your boot. If something should happen and you lose the knife you have or can't reach it, then you have this one as a backup." Rick said putting it into her hands.

Evie looked at it in her hand before looking up to Rick. It wasn't hard to see the concern that he was trying to hide. Just like everyone else, he was getting ready for what was to possibly come and he wanted to make sure that she was ready as well. Evie nodded to him in gratitude before she slipped it into her right boot and made sure it would not rub her calf.

Jonathon came over and collapsed on the sand in the shade to rest, his horse a short distance away. He gave a deep sigh and leaned against the side of the tree next to Evie. Wiping his hand across his forehead he said, "I don't know about you people but I'm hot and tired. I hope when we get to Hamunaptra that we can rest and wait a bit before the trouble begins...all though I know that won't happen." He made a face. "We are always in trouble."

Evie nodded. "From what Ardeth told us, I doubt that we will get any relief from our journey when we get there."

She took her hood off and the headband off. Then with an elastic hair band, Evie pulled her hair up into a ponytail to get it off of her neck. A few loose strands hung down against the sides of her face, which she pushed behind her ear.

Footsteps in the sand and movement directed their attention to an approaching Ardeth and three other Med-Jai. They stopped under the shade and clustered around with the intent to have a specific conversation. Yet the Med-Jai did not sit down, they remained standing.

"We need to talk more of what is to come. Before we arrive we need to have ideas of what we should do. The priest of Seth might have grown in power or done more while we were away. We need to try to understand more about this priest and how we may go about destroying it." Ardeth stated looking around the group.

Ardeth looked down to Evie sitting against the tree. "What more can you tell us Evelyn?"

All eyes turned to her. Evie felt a tad bit flustered by all the attention but she pushed it aside. This stuff was important and needed to be handled thus. Evie didn't really know what she could tell them. She didn't have the answers but she might as well sound out her thoughts about the matter and bounce ideas off of them. That usually seemed to work, especially with Rick. When she talked of things to Rick he was good at pointing out errors or 'iffy' things that might not work.

"The fact that there is a priest of a god in this day and time is quite baffling. The only reason that a god would make such a powerful priest for himself is to have that priest acquire or accomplish something that the god specifically desires. Which is a bit unheard of for a god usually, well actually never, does something like this. At least not in this century. It is a risk on the God's part to do such a thing because the powerful Amun-ra could deal consequences against the god in retaliation for the God's audacity." Evie looked down at the sand, her thoughts racing as she contemplated the matter.

"So whatever the god wants is a big deal then right? It must be something pretty important or special that a god would go after it but what could it be?" Rick asked.

Evie shook her head. "I do not know. It could be anything." She looked up to Ardeth. "Did you see anything or hear anything that might give us a clue as to what it is after?"

Ardeth shook his head. "We ambushed them to try to drive them out. We did not spy on them. It appeared from all of their things that they plan on staying there for a long time."

"So how do we get rid of this...thing? We don't have to battle a god do we?" Jonathon asked with a nervous gulp.

Evie looked to Jonathon, who was obviously anxious. Who was to blame him? She was anxious herself. There was a lot that they still did not understand or know. "No I don't think so. I believe it is just the priest because a god cannot walk upon the earth. Though since the priest has powers, it means that he is an immortal. And the only known way I know of to kill an immortal is to first take away its immortality."

"Like we did to ole Imhotep." Rick stated.

Evie nodded. "Exactly. So that means that I will need the Book of Amun-ra."

"But Evie we don't have the book. Remember that it fell into that black water in the room where the mummy tried to kill you? How are we going to get it back? I don't think that the evil priest guy is just going to let us in the city to look around for the book that will help us kill him. I know if I was a priest I wouldn't." Jonathon said.

Ardeth nodded. "He has a point."

"Yeah, he does. To get that book we need to sneak into the city and into the room." Rick agreed.

Ardeth looked around at them all, including the three other Med-Jai. "Only a few people can more easily slip into the city than a large group. A few of us will enter and the Med-Jai will wait outside the city and try to remain unknown to the priest and other diggers. O'Connell, Evelyn, Jonathon and I will go inside to retrieve the book."

"Can't I just wait outside the city with the Med-Jai? I couldn't be much help." Jonathon protested.

"Jonathon, besides me you are the only other person who can mostly read ancient Egyptian. We could use you to help should something happen to me." Evie countered her brother keeping her gaze locked on him.

Jonathon gave a huff and a sigh. "Oh all right."

Evie reached out and patted her brother on the arm. "Thank you Jonathon." She said with a smile.

Jonathon waved his hand dismissively. "Yes, yes."

"Then let us continue on. We will now ride and in about fifty minutes we will arrive within sight of the city. Let Allah be with us." Ardeth said.

He looked around at all three of them. However when he looked at Evie, his eyes went to her wrist where black cloth was tied around it. Ardeth knew that under the cloth was the bracelet that she had found. His eyes flicked back up to Evie's before he turned around and went with the three Med-Jai over to their horses.

Evie had caught Ardeth's gaze and how he had looked to her wrist. She knew that she didn't have anything to fear from him but obviously Ardeth was still unsure what was going on with her. Evie stood up and cast a look over to where Ardeth was already mounted on his black Arabian. Ardeth was looking around at the other Med-Jai but then his eyes found Evie as if he had known that she was watching him.

Evie tore her gaze away and went over to her white horse. She stood there ready to mount, but she hesitated thinking. She knew now that Ardeth was watching her so that meant that he was concerned about her. Evie wondered if Ardeth would mention it to Rick and Jonathon. It seemed that he wouldn't though since he had not said anything so far to them, but who was to say that he might not tell them at some point later on?

Evie put her foot in the stirrup and swung up onto her horse.

"Hey would you mind helping me up?" Jonathon asked from where he sat against the tree, holding out his hand toward Rick.

"Yeah, sure..." Rick reached out and grabbed Jonathon's hand in a tight grip that made Jonathon wince. "I'll help you up." Rick pulled upward and yanked Jonathon to his feet. Rick let go of Jonathon's hand and turned around to his horse.

Jonathon shook his hand that Rick had about crushed. "Ow! If you didn't want to help me up you should have just told me!"

Rick got up onto the bay horse. He had a small grin. "What made you think that I didn't want to help you? I'll help a lazy old friend."

Jonathon gave Rick a glare and went to his brown horse that had its head down and was eating sparse dried grass. Jonathon pulled on the reins to get the horse's head up and then moved back to the saddle. Only when he got back by the saddle, the horse had its head down again. Jonathon tried it all over again with no success.

Evie looked over to Rick. "Rick." She said disapprovingly. "Do you have to be that way?"

Rick faced Evie trying to look innocent but Evie knew better. "What? I helped him up because he asked. Does it matter how I helped him up as long as I get him up?"

Evie shook her head in an aggravated way and didn't bother arguing with him.

Jonathon still had not succeeded in getting the horse's head to stay up as he mounted. Ardeth on his black horse came over and saw the amusing scene.

"Do you need assistance?" Ardeth asked trying to hide the signs of a smile.

"No, no. I can get on a horse. I've done it before. This one just doesn't want to stop eating." Jonathon said trying his method of mounting again. It failed.

Ardeth spoke in Arabic and the horse suddenly perked its head up in the air looking to him. Jonathon gave a huff. "He won't listen to me when I try to pull his head up but you speak to him and he does it!" Jonathon grumbled.

Jonathon got up on the horse without any grace or show that he had much experience at this. Jonathon was finally up there at least so with a smile still on his face, Ardeth called for them to move out. They all turned their horses and walked them out from under the shade of the oasis and into the open vast sand where the sun's heat beat down upon them once more.


	5. Chapter 5: Growing Friendship

Rick rode beside Evie while Jonathon tagged along behind them. Ardeth rode behind them for a bit but then after a while moved up and rode alongside Evie. Most of the Med-Jai rode behind the four of them and only a few led the way.

They were all silent under the hot sun. Out of her peripheral vision, she subtlety watched the Med-Jai warrior and again sensed a change in him compared to the last time she had seen him. Deciding to voice that thought, she glanced over at him.

"I have noticed that among the Med-Jai you somehow seem different than the last time when we were in each other's company. In these last years have things changed much for you?" Evie asked him having to squint from the brightness of the sun.

Ardeth fixed his eyes over at her and gave a curt nod. "The first time we met I had been a captain of the Med-Jai. Now I have been given leadership as one of the twelve commanders of the Med-Jai. My words, decisions and actions hold more authority than before. My fellow Med-Jai trust me and it is I who lead them now. With this gift and burden, I wish to do what is right for my people."

"Promotion of higher rank huh?" Rick remarked.

Ardeth nodded in affirmation.

"I think you are a good leader, Ardeth. The way you lead your people and the honor you have in all of your actions show your loyalty and worth as a commander." Evie complimented with complete sincerity.

Ardeth looked over at her with a pleased smile on his face. "Thank you Evelyn. It always is reassuring when someone can hold that belief of me for it lets me know that I am doing right by my people. Though, I can never stop trying to keep doing the best that I can do for them. Only the foolish man stops trying when he believes that he is worthy enough."

They rode again in silence for a while. Their horse's hoofs sunk in the sand and the desert winds blew whirls of sand along the dunes. Evie pulled her hood back on and settled her headband over it to keep it in place. Then she pulled her veil across her face so as to not have to breathe in the billowing particles of sand.

Casting her gaze out to the distance, Evie could see two black shapes. As the distance shortened, it became apparent that it was two Med-Jai's atop dark Arabians racing towards them. Ardeth and all of the Med-Jai noticed as well.

"Those are two of the scouts that I tasked with the job to keep surveillance of Hamunaptra while I came in search for the three of you. They must have important news to tell since they sought us out." Ardeth told them before he nudged his black horse and loped toward the oncoming riders. Rick, Evie and Jonathon urged their horses to follow Ardeth and came to a stop alongside them, facing the two Med-Jai scouts.

"What news do you have?" Ardeth questioned the scouts.

"We have been watching over the city as you ordered. It seems that even though they have found the city, they are constantly seeking something that is not already within it. Small groups of riders are coming in and out almost every day. Whatever this priest seeks, it seems that he does not know its location. The priest left the city yesterday afternoon only an hour or so after you left to find the Carnahans and O'Connell. Yet the rest of them do not leave Hamunaptra."

"So this priest still has use of the city or something inside it. Even though he has left we can be sure that he will return." Ardeth stated. "Where are the other two scouts I stationed there?"

"They remain outside the city to watch. They will not leave until you arrive or you order them to leave." The other Med-Jai replied.

"Where did the priest go?" Evie asked looking at the two informants.

"The priest headed west. We heard him talking to his servants about going to a temple to ask for help from his god in locating what they seek. They did not say what they were looking for." The first Med-Jai answered.

"With the priest gone, it probably will be easier to get into the city undetected." Rick pointed out.

"Whoo! That is good news. I was dreading we would meet up with the priest. I've had enough of Egyptian priests." Jonathon said looking and sounding relieved.

Ardeth nodded ahead, in the direction of their destination. "Let's move out."

They kept their same pace that they had before. Evie was thankful that they had gotten that time to rest at the oasis. Whenever she would become thirsty, she would drink but she drank limited amounts for who knew when they would have the chance to refill their canteens again.

As they rode, the sun got hotter as the day gradually progressed to noon. After a while Evie became to recognize the landscape. Instead of a vast sea of sand dunes, there were tall protruding rock and sand cliffs in the area. And when they came around a bend of the line of rock cliffs, her suspicions were confirmed. They had arrived.

The group stopped and looked off toward the distance. Evie couldn't believe that it looked almost exactly the same as the first time she had seen it. When they had hurriedly left the ancient city those three years ago, it had sunk under the sand. Yet somehow here it stood once more, as if it had never happened.

A glinting light out of sight of the city and off behind a line of cliffs to the east of Hamunaptra, caught her attention. Evie put her hand up against her forehead trying to shield the sun's rays from her eyes as she looked that way and tried to see what it was that caused it.

"What is that?" Evie asked looking in that direction.

Ardeth was looking in the same direction already and had seen it. "That is a signal from the remaining two Med-Jai still posted there. They are showing us where they are."

There was more glinting as if relaying a message.

"Something has occurred." Ardeth raised his hand and motioned it forward. "We will go and met them there. While haste would be good, we want to refrain from raising dust so as not to alert those men in the city that we here. We shall go around to keep out of sight from the city."

Ardeth led them along the base of the line of cliffs farther down and away from the direction of the city. They kept their horses at a fast walk and did not let them speed up any more than that. It took them several minutes to go away from the city before they cut across the open land to the opposite line of cliffs that were situation behind the city. Finally in the shadow cast by the cliffs, hiding them from the strong rays of heat and light, they went along beside the cliffs back in the direction of the city. After a few more minutes, they came upon the spot along the cliffs where the reflecting light signals had come from earlier. As they neared, Evie saw the two Med-Jai were there waiting for them and noticed that directly behind them was an entrance to go back into the cliffs.

"Ardeth." The two Med-Jai gave him respectful nods.

"Before the priest of Seth left, they had found the Book of the Dead and the key within the chambers of the temple of Osiris." One of the Med-Jai scouts informed them.

Evie felt dread settle over her already aware that something bad had come from this. For there were a numerous variety of bad occurrences that could have come about from the Book of the Dead being found and she was afraid of the things that could have possibly happened. Especially with it being in the hands of an archeologist.

"When the priest left he gave it to the archeologist to take care of it during his absence. The orders the priest had given was for no one to open the book. But with the priest gone, the archeologist disobeyed the priest's orders. He opened the book and read from it unaware of what it would do." Here the Med-Jai paused, a troubled expression on his face. "Forgive us commander for we could not stop it." The Med-Jai scout looked to the other.

It was the second Med-Jai scout who stated the news that they all knew was coming and that they dreaded to hear. "The creature has been woken once again."

Jonathon made a gasp and started looking around wildly as if expecting the mummy to descend on them at that moment to seek his vengeance. Rick groaned angrily and looked up into the sky with aggravation. The Med-Jai started to speak amongst themselves in Arabic in tones that told of their displeasure and seriousness of the situation.

Evie was still, the shock of the news coursing through her. This was dreadful news yet it astounded her that yet somehow there was something sickeningly sweet about it. She couldn't pinpoint a reason as to why she felt that way nor did she want to try to. Just like all of the previous times thoughts of Imhotep had entered her mind unbidden, she hurriedly dismissed them and attempted to block them from her mind.

Ardeth wore a deathly serious expression, already focusing ahead on the task that he once again had before him. "For how long has the creature been risen?"

"Since this morning, only a few hours after you left. We were here as we heard the awakening scream of the creature as it awoke and the cries of terror from those in the city when they learned of what had been done." The first scout answered.

"We entered the city in disguise soon after and overheard that the creature made a deal with the archeologist. The creature said he would not harm the archeologist if he would have someone open the chest so that he may be whole again." The second Med-Jai scout told them.

Rick looked between the two Med-Jai telling them all this. "He hasn't fully regenerated yet has he?"

The first Med-Jai nodded. "The archeologist made one of the diggers open the chest. The creature fulfilled the curse and is now whole again. He rules over the diggers, servants and archeologist. They do what the creature says out of fear and in fear for the archeologist knows that now he has risen an enemy of the one he served, the priest of Seth. They fear what the Priest of Seth will do to them when he learns that a Priest of Osiris lives again."

Ardeth looked over at Evie, Jonathon and Rick. "Seems that our previous plan will be more difficult to achieve. We now have two immortal priests to kill. But we know what needs to be done in both cases and will have to ensure we succeed."

"The Book of Amun-ra is the only way to turn both of these immortals into mortals that can be killed. It is now of the utmost importance that we get that Book." Evie looked around at each of them in turn as she spoke. "Two immortals will be hard to deal with indeed. We will either have to deal with one and then the other at two separate times or both at once. Either way, we face the risk of losing the Book or our lives if they cannot be distracted while the chant is spoken."

"The mummy shouldn't be immortal." Rick disputed. "We took away his immortality last time to kill him."

Evie shook her head. "No, in rising again his immortality is restored. Even if taken away once more, should he ever be woken a third time or a forth, or even a fifth...his immortality will always come back to him every time he is awoken. It is how the curse of the HomDai works."

They were all silent for a moment, the news of the recent events sinking in. Their minds already were racing to come up with plans, though nothing could be done soon. The sun was already steadily descending towards the horizon and within a couple of hours night would be upon them.

"We will enter into the cliff valley and make camp for the night. More will be said and decided there." Ardeth announced.

All of the Med-Jai started to go through the cliff entrance which was a path between two cliffs. It was only wide enough for one horse to go through it so the Med-Jai rode their horses single file and soon disappeared out of sight around a bend in the path.

Ardeth turned to Jonathon, Evie and Rick. "This place we go to is a place only known by Med-Jai. This entrance takes you to an enclosed desert valley surrounded by the cliffs. The valley only has two main entrances that you can ride through. There are other paths over the cliffs that you must go on by foot. This entrance here must be taken in single file but it will widen as it continues to open to the valley. Where we go, we will be able to remain undetected." Having explained all of this to the three of them, Ardeth took his horse into the entrance and headed down it.

Evie looked around to Rick and Jonathon. Rick waved her to go first.

"Go ahead Evie. We will be right behind you." Jonathon said from behind her.

Evie nudged her white horse and entered the cliff path. The sounds of the horses' hooves echoed off the cliff faces on either side of her. She looked back to see Jonathon enter next and then Rick was the last to enter. Turning her attention back around ahead of her, she made her way silently down the entrance.

Evie caught glimpses of Ardeth on his black Arabian ahead of her every once in a while but a turn in the path would take him from her sight again. Looking back the same happened with Jonathon. She never even saw Rick following behind because of the turns yet she knew that he was there.

Evie didn't have to guide her horse, it seemed to know its way around and besides there was nowhere for it to go except forward. So she let her tired arms and hands holding the reins lower against the base of her horse's soft neck. Riding alone with no one near to talk to, her thoughts and emotions kept her preoccupied now that there was time to contemplate on the day's events. And the thing utmost on her mind at the moment was the latest news delivered to them...the rising of Imhotep once again.

What was it going to be like if she saw him again? How would she feel? Terrified? Awe? Horror? Intrigued? Confused? Yes, probably confused for she felt confused right now on how she felt about it. Evie couldn't deny that the mummy Lord Imhotep was amazingly and frightfully powerful. Also the fact that he was always full of determination no matter what he was after made him even more intimidating. He knew no end to seeking what he wanted, and no end except to reach his goals. Ambitious, awesome, incredible, frightening, compelling, alluring, commanding and yes...handsome were all terms she could use to describe him. So with so many conflicting emotions and thoughts about him, how was she to know which was ruling her right now?

Another thing that bothered her was what was she going to do when she saw him? She had been the one to take his immortality away from him the first time. It was she who knew and showed the Med-Jai how to defeat him. Evie knew that he no doubt would be furious and try to kill her in vengeance even though all chances of bringing Anck-su-namun back were gone. Imhotep would want to take out his revenge on all those who had crossed him those three years ago. So truthfully she should only be terrified of him and not have a sickeningly sweet feeling about his return. What was wrong with her?

Change in the land around her drew her attention from out of her thoughts and ahead at the path. The walls on either side were widening as they continued. Turning a small curve in the path, Evie saw Ardeth sitting atop his horse ahead looking back down the path at her, waiting for her. And as the path kept widening, by the time she had reached Ardeth, two horses could walk side by side with plenty of room.

Ardeth rode his horse beside hers as they kept going down the path. He glanced over to her every once in a while making it obvious to Evie that there was something he wanted to talk to her about.

"Evelyn. What are your thoughts on these events?" Ardeth asked her seeming like he wanted to hear it all. He knew that riding down the path alone had given her time to think just like it had done for him. Killing the two priests were large and daunting tasks that he would have to accomplish. It would be challenging and burdensome but this all was just a job that he must do, a mission that he had been trained from youth to fulfill.

But what could this be doing to Evelyn? There was something unusual going on with her that was a perplexing occurrence in itself without having to add an evil priest of Seth and a priest of Osiris who once had tried to kill her. Evelyn somehow seemed to have a connection with the historic Princess Nefertiri. He had seen that when they had gone into that secret hall and room meant for Nefertiri. So far nothing more had seemed to become of it, so he wasn't overly concerned…yet. But just because nothing had come of it yet, didn't mean that it never would. So he was determined to keep a close eye on her.

Evie didn't look over at him. She was afraid that he would be able to see her confusion and mixed expressions. "About the Priest of Seth, the Priest of Osiris, or coming here into this valley?"

She had not said Imhotep's name. She had been afraid of what her expression might have been for just thinking of it made her want to shiver in the wake of the power of his name.

Ardeth still closely watched her from the side. "About all of it. Trouble seems to be escalating quickly. I want to know how it is affecting you. I know that there is enough going on with you without having to include the task of killing the two immortal priests."

Evie knew what he was speaking of without actually saying it forth right. Ardeth was still wary and still unsure of what had happened back at the ruins. She found it sweet how he was concerned about her. It was surprising how she and Ardeth were rapidly becoming friendlier and more open with each other.

Evie looked over to him realizing that he deserved an explanation. "Ardeth, I know you are still in the dark about what had happened back at the ruins. You are not the only one who does not understand. I don't really even understand it myself but I hope to find out." She paused for a brief moment before continuing. "Jonathon and Rick only know a little bit of it. I didn't tell them much. They do not even know the depth of what has been going on."

"What are you not speaking of? What else has happened?" Ardeth asked with his full attention on her. He trusted his horse to keep going on down the path as it was on its own.

Evie looked ahead down the path without really seeing it. "I have had dreams… dreams about every night for five weeks. Sometimes they repeat themselves and on occasion there are new ones every once in a while. I do not understand where they come from for I could not have imagined these up. They feel so real and it is strange to say but I feel like as if I have been to the places of my dreams before. I know people in the dreams all though I have never ever seen them before or met them before in real life."

"What are these dreams? Who is in them and what are they like?" Ardeth asked her, looking at her eyes.

Evie looked back over to him and their gazes met. Staring into Ardeth's deep brown eyes sort of made her feel calmer and secure...like as if she had found a safe haven. Ardeth's sure and steady composure steadied her even more. "They are dreams of ancient Egypt. It is like I am seeing everything happening in third person view. Yet as they happen, I feel like I also know them from a first person view too which is odd because I've never had the dreams in a first person view. I see what it might of have been like in the ancient times and I am always somewhere in the palace. Even when I see a view of the horizon, it is always from a palace balcony."

"Who are the people that you see in your dreams? Do you know who they are?" Ardeth asked, intrigued.

Evie nodded. "Yes. Somehow I know them. Palace servants are common in my dreams. I see palace Med-Jai guards who I feel like I am familiar with though I don't know their name. There is a very lavish bedroom that I am usually in. If I'm not in the bedroom then I'm either in the throne room or a sparring practice room. In the throne room Pharaoh Seti sits in his throne with his concubines sitting on the steps around him. I have seen Rameses in my dreams, as well as Princess Nefertiri. Though when I see the Princess, I cannot see her face. My view point in the dreams are always from over her shoulder. She has been present in every ancient Egypt dream that I've had." Evie looked away from his gaze and ahead of them.

Ardeth studied her silently. "Is there anything else?"

"Aside from seeing the ruins in my dreams and feeling a pull to go to them, as well as everything else that I have already told you, no. That is all." Evie answered.

Ardeth studied her still, trying to determine if she was withholding anything more. He did not see anything that might show that she was so he nodded. "So I am to understand that at the ruins you knew how to open that door from a dream? I had seen you close your eyes. You had a dream then?"

Evie nodded in affirmation. "Yes."

The path they were on began to widened a little more. Hoof falls clacking against the ground and small stones in the sand sounded from behind them. Turning in her saddle, Evie looked back in time to see Jonathon and Rick come around a bend in the cliffs. They rode side by side now too and were speak in low tones that at times ranged from light hearted and funny to serious and anxious.

"We are fixing to come upon the valley. It is not far now." Ardeth announced.

"That's a relief. I'm getting sore sitting in this saddle for so long." Jonathon complained.

They rode for just a little more until the path suddenly opened to the large valley. It was surrounded by the cliffs and just like everywhere else the ground was mostly sand. Up ahead, the Med-Jai had gathered and set up a camp on the right side of the valley where a small waterfall came down the cliffs and made a pool around the base. The three of them stopped their horses, surveying the area. Ardeth stopped his horse as well, waiting for them as they took the time to observe their surroundings.

Having spotted the camp, Jonathon nudged his horse and headed off around Ardeth to it. "You fellows wouldn't happen to have some whiskey handy would you? I could direly use some with all that's been going on." He could be heard asking the Med-Jai as he approached the camp.

"Nice secluded hideout. How long have you known it was here?" Rick asked.

"The Med-Jai have known of it for hundreds of years."

Rick raised an eyebrow quizzically at first before he nodded. "Oh right. It's one of those traditionally passed down secrets."

Rick nudged his horse forwards, starting to head towards the camp. When he noticed that Evie had not begun to follow, he wheeled his horse about to face her. "You coming Evie?"

Evie shook her head. "Not yet. I want a few minutes of solitude before I join the camp."

Evie could not miss his concerned look even at this distance, but he nodded. "Ok. Just, don't go far."

Rick turned his horse back around and headed to the camp.

"Evelyn." Ardeth said to get Evie's attention. It succeeded in its purpose when Evie looked around to him. "Try not to worry. Go relax as much as you are able and get what moments of peace you can. You will need your strength, wisdom, and courage before the end."

Ardeth stared into her eyes showing her the sincerity of his words before he turned his horse about and approached the camp. Evie was still surprised at the friendship that was growing between her and Ardeth but she had to admit that it was nice to be able to confide in him. Jonathon wasn't the type to confide in and if she confided in Rick he might over react and over protect her. At least with Ardeth, he was a good listener and was proving to be a supportive friend.

Evie rode her horse off towards the cliff wall to her right so she could sit in the shade. From having been in the saddle for a while, she desperately desired to stretch her legs. Dismounting her white horse, she went to lean against the face of the cliff wall. It felt semi cool against her back since it had been in the shade for a while now and had escaped the rays of the sun. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against it. Reaching up she pulled her veil down from her face and took her hood off. The small breeze that came through the valley reached her and lifted strands of her hair seeming to caress her face and cool her hot neck. Evie took a deep breath and absorbed this small peace knowing that all too soon she would no longer have the chance to.


	6. Chapter 6: Well Made Plans

After fifteen peaceful minutes later, Evelyn walked across the open sand leading her horse towards the camp. When she reached the outskirts of the camp, one of the Med-Jai came up to her.

"I will take care of the horse. Go and meet with the others. They wait for you." The Med-Jai told her.

Evie handed the reins to the man. "Thank you."

The Med-Jai took the reins and led the horse away. Evie walked deeper into the middle of the camp knowing that Rick and Jonathon had to be there. It was now time to figure out what plan of action they would take and while Evie wasn't looking forward to any of it, she knew that it had to be done. They needed her for it was she who could take away the immortality of the priests by reading from the book. This meant that she would be putting herself in danger but she was their best shot at getting rid of the priests. Though the thought of it was a bit daunting, the years had changed her. She felt more confident and capable than ever before. Besides, she had done this once before and she could do it again.

As she neared the center of camp, she noticed all of the other Med-Jai clustered about to be involved in the planning. They respectfully moved aside for Evie to continue on to the center of the group. Emerging from them, she saw Rick, Jonathon, Ardeth and three other Med-Jai sitting on large stones in the center. Everyone present looked up at her as she appeared.

"There you are old mum. We were starting to wonder where you had gone off to." Jonathon told her from his seat beside Rick.

"What have you been doing Evie? You all right?" Rick asked.

Evie waved her hand at him dismissively. "I am fine Rick. I just took the time to enjoy doing nothing for a while. I figure it might just be the last time to do that with what we have ahead of us."

Evie glanced around at each of them in turn. "So what ideas are there so far?"

"It would have been better if we could have gotten the Book while the priest of Seth was gone. But since our ole' foe is back and occupying the city, we are going to have to steer clear of him until we get the book." Rick stated not bothering to hide his distaste.

"Evelyn. What do you think will happen when the Priest returns?" Ardeth asked her, seeking her opinion.

"Chaos will probably ensue." She stated surprising them with her blunt, straight forward answer. It seemed they had thought she might try to dance around the subject or sugar coat her suspicions.

"The Priest of Seth and the Priest of Osiris are enemies. It was the god Seth who killed the god Osiris and tore him to pieces which he spread across the land. They were brothers, Seth and Osiris. So the priests of the gods are going to be enemies as well. The two priests will no doubt fight each other and there is no telling what the outcome might be. The winner could be either of them and there is a good chance that they might just destroy everything around them as they battle one another for they will no doubt use their powers."

"With the two dreadful priests fighting couldn't we slip in and get the book while they are busy fighting one another?" Jonathon asked hoping to avoid the fighting and danger of having a priest's deadly attention.

Evie shook her head. "I would not suggest it. Yes they would be occupied but in the midst of their fighting, they could unintentionally destroy the city. I don't want to be in the city if that happens. So that would be the last option I would take."

"Then that would leave us with entering the city before the Priest of Seth returns and while the creature is still in the city." Ardeth concluded.

Rick leaned forward resting his arms on his legs. "We have dealt with the mummy before. We can do it again."

"We might not have to. The city is large underneath and from what the scouts say, most of everyone stays above. It might be possible to get in the under city and retrieve the book without encountering anyone." Evie hesitated. "Though it will definitely be a gamble. A fifty-fifty shot of someone being there."

"The Book is in the underground temple of Osiris correct?" Ardeth asked.

Evie nodded. "Yes. It had fallen into the black water."

"Since it is the Osiris temple, might not the creature stay there since it is a place of his devotion, service and temple of his god? The odds of you encountering him there while trying to retrieve the book is extremely high. And does he not probably know more of the underground city than we do?" Ardeth surmised.

"Yes." Evie paused. "If he is not above the city in the sandy ruins then he would most likely be in the temple. He knows the temple well and he can go about the city easier than we can since he knows it better."

"Then we need a distraction. We need something to drawn him out of the temple if he is in it." Rick stated looking to Ardeth.

Ardeth nodded showing his agreement. He looked about behind him and spoke over his shoulder to a Med-Jai. "Go see whether the creature stays more in the under city or the surface. Report back to me as soon as you can."

The Med-Jai hustled away and Ardeth looked back at them. "It would be best if we wait till nightfall and make our move then. If the creature is below, we Med-Jai will attack their camp to drive them away. This might bring the creature forth so then you," Here he looked over to Evelyn. "can retrieve the book."

"But she can't go alone." Jonathon protested, voicing his worry for his sister.

Rick shook his head. "She isn't going alone. You and I will go with her."

Jonathon took a nervous swallow but knew better than to protest further. Instead Jonathon looked to Ardeth. "What about you? Are you going below?"

Ardeth shook his head no. "I would like to but I feel that I am needed above to lead my people into the camp."

"Oh." Was the last thing Jonathon said before he fell silent.

"We all should rest until night begins to fall." Ardeth suggested.

Evie couldn't agree more. While the rest of the Med-Jai were either wandering away or talking, Ardeth turned to the Med-Jai captains beside him and began to speak to them of needed preparations. Rick, still remaining seated, was listening to them.

Standing, Evie looked down to Jonathon who seemed to be lost deep in thoughts that were obviously bothering him for he wore an unhappy, brooding expression.

"Jonathon." Evie said kneeling down in front of him to get his attention.

Jonathon gave a slight jump.

"Where are our sleeping blankets? I want to sleep for a while." Evie asked him.

Seeming to have rid his mind of his previous thoughts, Jonathon stood. "I'll show you. I want to get some sleep as well. Riding all day has really worn me out."

Evie followed him as he wandered through the camp. Jonathon led her to their laid out blankets which were situated several feet away from the waterfall.

"I wanted to stay here since there is cool air coming off of the waterfall. It will help keep us cool while we sleep." Jonathon reasoned before he sat down on his blanket. He stretched out on top of it. "I'm tired of always being hot."

Evie smiled to herself as she lay out on her own blanket. She lay on her side and fell asleep listening to Jonathon's complaining.

Evie jolted awake in a somewhat panic, instantly sitting up. Immediately there were strong hands there trying to calm her.

"Evie. Evie. It's alright." Rick's voice said trying to sooth her.

Trying to calm her racing heart, she looked around at her surroundings. She noticed that it was gradually getting dark indicating that nightfall was approaching. Already she could see a few faint stars up in the sky.

Bringing her gaze back to her immediate surroundings, she spotted Jonathon sitting over on his blanket looking at her with a curious expression.

"What is it?" Evie asked trying to calm herself.

"I was trying to wake you and suddenly you just jumped like I had hurt you. What is wrong?" Rick asked her.

Evie took a deep breath. "I had a very vivid dream that seemed too real."

"What was it about ole mum?" Jonathon asked curiously.

"It was a dream of ancient Egyptian times. It seemed just as real as all the others I have had but this one was one that I've never had before. I saw him in them this time." Evie said staring off in the direction of the waterfall.

"Who?" Rick asked as he lowered his hands, seeing that she had for the most part succeeded in calming down now.

"Imhotep." Evie whispered.

"Imhotep?" Rick studied her suspiciously. "All of this talk of the priests and making plans is causing you to have bad dreams isn't it?"

Evie shook her head. "No, it was like the same dreams that I have been having but this time he was in it. He has never been in them before."

"Uhh." Jonathon wasn't sure what to say. "Well, what was he doing?"

Evie looked over to Jonathon not feeling alarmed anymore. It wasn't that big of a deal. It just confused her and scared her because she didn't know what was going on with her anymore. She couldn't understand why she was dreaming these vivid dreams of ancient Egypt.

"At first he was with his gold priests standing beside Pharoah Seti who was sitting on his throne. Then I was walking down one of the royal hallways of the palace, that leads to the lavish bedroom that I always tend to see in my other dreams, and he was coming from the other direction towards me. I watched him as we started to pass by one another. Our eyes met and as he passed by me, he maintained direct eye contact before he continued on. It was his eyes and the way that he looked at me that...that I just can't shake the feeling of."

Evie looked down for a moment, remembering the feeling of that moment, before she cast her gaze back up and over at Jonathon. "It just was disconcerting because I have never had a dream like that that included him."

"But you are ok?" Jonathon pressed.

"Yes. I'm fine."

Rick rocked back on his heels to stand before he offered her his hand to help her up. "Good because we will be headed out soon."

Evie placed her hand in hers and let him help her stand. Jonathon got up as well and the three of them went to an edge of the camp which was not too far away from where the horses had been tied. Only now all of the horses were fully saddled again and all of the Med-Jai were on them either walking them about or making them stand silently as they waited for the time to leave to go storm into Hamunaptra.

Ardeth appeared before them still dressed in his black desert robes only now in the rapidly darkening sky, they looked even blacker. If it wasn't for the fires in the camp, he would have almost blended in with the night.

"We are ready to enter the city. The scout returned and told me that the creature stays below in the under city more than he does atop the sands. It seems that there is something that he is preoccupied with doing below. We are not sure what it is he is after but we seem to think it is somehow connected with whatever the Priest of Seth is after." Ardeth informed them.

"So he is probably going to try to either stop the Priest of Seth or try to get whatever it is first for himself." Evie assumed.

"Do you think that the raid is going to bring him up from the city then if he is determined to discover what the priest of Seth is searching for?" Rick wondered, looking from Evie to Ardeth.

Evie shrugged. "I don't know but the raid is still worth a shot. If it does not work there is still the chance that he is somewhere other in the city than the temple."

"Then we will leave now." Ardeth announced. "We will attack the city from the south so the three of you can slip into the city from the east."

Ardeth pointed to a Med-Jai standing waiting with Evie's, Rick's and Jonathon's horses ready. "He will take you across the valley to the cliffs east of the city where there is an entrance that will lead you directly into the underground portion of the city."

Rick and Evie nodded in acknowledgement.

"Allah Humana" Ardeth told them kissing his fingertips and then putting them up to his forehead before waving them in their direction in a customary Med-Jai blessing salute. "Let your God keep you safe and help you."

Another Med-Jai rode up leading a dapple grey horse. Ardeth went over to it and swung upon it effortlessly. With a last nod toward Rick, Evie and Jonathon, he called out to the Med-Jai and then rode out in the direction of the entrance path that they all had taken when coming here. In their departure, sand whirled up and made the air dusty.

"Well, let's go. We need to try to time this right. If we get their before or after the Med-Jai have, then the point of this tactic will be useless." Rick stated heading across the sand toward the lone remaining Med-Jai holding their horse's reins.

As Evie and Jonathon followed, Evie pulled her cloth hood on her head. She settled the bangle headband in place and then pulled her veil up. Reaching the Med-Jai she took the reins to her white horse and swung up into the saddle with ease. Rick was already mounted on his horse and stood there waiting. Jonathon finally got up on his own horse and looked around to them waiting for them to lead the way.

Rick turned to the Med-Jai. "All right. Where is this entrance?"

The Med-Jai pointed his horse in the direction of the opposite side of the valley. "We ride across the valley to the far cliffs. If you decide to take the cave entrance to the underground part of the city, you will have to leave your horses behind with me."

"Ok. Lets go." Rick stated, closely following the Med-Jai who began to lead the way.

Evie and Jonathon rode along behind them. When the Med-Jai started to run his horse, all three of them picked up the pace and did the same following the lead of the Med-Jai guide. Since they were running their horses, there was no time nor breath to talk. The ride across the valley was silent except for the sound of the hooves of the horses churning and pounding the sand.

The cliffs loomed taller as they started reaching them. Coming up over a small rise, the Med-Jai suddenly stopped his horse. Rick pulled back quickly on his horse so that it sort of reared to a stop. Evie was quick to easily yet firmly pull back and let her horse slide to a stop. Jonathon's horse stopped so suddenly without Jonathon giving it cue to, that Jonathon was almost flung over the horse's neck and into the sand.

"Whoo! That was close. Would you please give us a warning next time?" Jonathon scolded, grumpily.

The Med-Jai didn't pay him any mind. He was already walking his horse toward the cliff base. Evie could see the entrance of the cave that was pitch black. Jonathon saw it too and looked over to her.

"Is that it?" Jonathon asked in a whisper that gave evidence to his anxiousness.

Evie didn't have to respond for the Med-Jai stopped a ways before it. The Med-Jai pointed at the entrance. "There are torches just outside the entrance that you can use to light your way. From here you will have to go on foot. The tunnels are not that long...about a five minute walk. Dismount and let me take your horses."

Evie stepped off her horse holding the reins in her hands. Jonathon nearly toppled off his horse while trying to get off but managed right himself as he dismounted. Rick got off his horse and removed his gun bag from the back of the saddle where he had put it earlier.

The Med-Jai held out his hand to Evie. "Hand me the reins."

Evie walked her horse over to him and placed the reins in the Med-Jai's dark rough hands. Jonathon led his horse over and was fixing to give the Med-Jai the reins but the Med-Jai didn't take them.

"Tie your reins to the saddle of hers." The Med-Jai ordered.

Jonathon gave a sort of aggravated grunt and glare at the Med-Jai but did as told. Rick slung his gun roll onto his back, succeeding in making himself look very intimidating as he glared at the somewhat grumpy Med-Jai.

"So what do you order me to do with my horse?" Rick asked being contrary.

The Med-Jai's expression however didn't change. "Tie your reins to his saddle."

Rick took his horse over to Jonathon's and tied his reins onto Jonathon's saddle. After having done so, he backed up away from the horses and the three of them faced the Med-Jai.

"After a little ways the entrance will split into two. The tunnel to the right will take you below the city and the left one will take you to the surface of the city." The Med-Jai said giving last minute directions before he turned his horse around and took off leading all of their horses.

All three watched his departure with not even a hint of misgivings at seeing him leave. Jonathon narrowed his eyes at the disappearing Med-Jai and frowned angrily. Rick just gave a playful shrug and looked over at Evie.

"I guess he just isn't a very happy person." Rick smirked and then turned about and started walking to the cave. Evie couldn't help but smile at Rick's small joke.

"Probably because he is always in the sun, running around and never gets to drink or gamble in a cashaba." Jonathon remarked with an expression that showed that he firmly believed his theory.

The three of them made their way over to the cave entrance and spotted a bundle of torches leaning against a rock. Rick picked three of them up, handing two to Evie and keeping one for himself. Evie passed one of the two that Rick had given her, to Jonathon. Rick pulled out a lighter and lit the torch that he held.

"Here." Rick said leaning his torch toward the one that Evelyn held. Evie moved hers to touch his and it instantly lit up with a small whoosh. As Rick replaced his lighter, Evie turned to Jonathon and used her to light his torch.

"Let's go." Rick stated as he stepped through the entrance.

Holding her torch before her to help illuminate their path, Evie followed along behind Rick with Jonathon right on her heels.


	7. Chapter 7: In The Depths Of Hamunaptra

**Hi everyone! I just wanted to quickly say a huge 'Thank you!' to all of you who have either favorited, followed or commented a review for this story! You guys are awesome! I'm so glad that you are enjoying this story. I apologize that I'm unable to update very quickly. I tend to stay pretty busy but I will definitely update as often as I can. Thank you for being patient! I've been asked if this will be a Imhotep and Evie pairing and I want to confirm that yes it absolutely is! Enjoy!**

Evie followed Rick and Jonathon brought up the rear of their three person procession. Inside the cave it was pitch black but their torches gave off enough light for them to see by. As they went further into the tunnel, Evie could feel the coolness of the stones as well in the air. However the more they continued on along the dark tunnel, there was a musty feeling to the air.

Their footsteps made soft echoes and their torches burned with quiet hisses and pops. Evie scanned the sides of the tunnels to see if there were any inscriptions. The walls however were bare. There were a few cobwebs on the ceiling of the tunnel but not as many as she had expected for there to be.

"Do you think that Ardeth and his pals use this tunnel very often?" Jonathon asked curiously.

"I don't know, you can ask him when we get back." Rick replied to Jonathon without really paying him much mind. He was too focus on scouting ahead.

Suddenly Rick stopped and held his torch up higher. They had come to where the tunnel branched into two. One of them would take them further into the underground portion of the city and the other would take them above to the surface. But which way would be best to go?

Rick looked over at Evie. "Well? Which way do we want to go? Above or below?"

"If we go below than we can stay out of the fighting above." Jonathon suggested, hoping to stay as far away from any of the potential fighting as possible.

Evie nodded in agreement though for a different reason. "Let's go straight into the underground portion. It will be more of a direct route to the temple so we can retrieve the book faster."

"Ok, so right it is." Rick stated before turning right and entering the tunnel that would take them further into the underground part of the city.

Evie started followed him with Jonathon in tow. They walked down the tunnel in silence. After about two more minutes of walking, Evie could detect a change in the air. The air increasingly became mustier and there started to be more cobwebs along the walls and ceiling of the tunnel than there had been before. Up ahead there was an archway with hieroglyphics above it.

Rick stopped. "Well I take it that we are here."

Evie looked up trying to read the writings. "Hold your torch up higher Rick so I can read them." She told him since he was taller and had a higher reach than her.

Rick stretched his arm up and put his torch close so that she could see the hieroglyphics.

"It says that this is the entrance to the city of the dead where pharaohs of glory are kept and treasures and secrets are guarded by spells and curses. It warns to tread easily and to not disturb what should remain undisturbed." Evie told them.

Jonathon shifted anxiously with a wary look about him. "They are warning us."

"It's more like they are promising you that if you mess around with stuff you shouldn't, you will soon wish that you hadn't." Rick stated.

He started to enter the archway but Evie stopped him with her hand tight around his arm. Rick looked down to her questioningly.

"We will need to try to be as silent as possible as we make our way through. We do not know where anyone is or if they will be around to hear us." Evie told them.

"Yes let's try to avoid anyone who might be down here." Jonathon agreed heartily.

Evie faced the archway once more and holding her torch before her, she led the way into the underground city.

They had been walking through the halls of the city for a while now, careful to try to remain as quiet as possible. Coming upon an open doorway on her left, she stopped and cast a glance through it. Evie shook her head in an aggravated way before turning away from the doorway.

"What is it?" Jonathon asked nervously, afraid of the numerous and awful possibilities of the things that could be inside that room.

"I have never been this way and there are not any signs to lead you around." Evie whispered back.

"Well do you have any idea of where we are now?" Rick asked as quietly as he could.

Evie nodded and pointed toward the room she had looked in. "We are in some of the lesser burial rooms." She turned away and kept going down the same hall that they had been. "If we can just get to a main hall then I could probably figure out where we need to go from there."

Rick, as he started after Evie, looked in through the doorway that she had previously glanced in. "Hmm. Yeah, they aren't too pretty are they?" He joked before continuing on along behind her as she led the way.

Jonathon quickly hurried by the doorway without looking. He rushed to catch up and follow directly behind Rick.

Evie looked in each doorway as she went down the hall. Just as she was beginning to think that they might be truly lost, she happened to look in one doorway and immediately stopped. Evie stepped through and affirmed what she had thought she had seen. This was a doorway to another hall that was wider and the ceilings a little higher. The stones of these walls were smooth and polished.

In this hall there were more doorways but these were bared shut. Evie stopped at one that was covered in dull gold with hieroglyphics on it. After reading the inscriptions, she backed away quickly before turning away and continuing onwards.

"Hey Evie what are these doors?" Rick asked, having noticed the strange way she had acted.

Evie answered without looking back. "They are doors to pharaoh's tombs."

Jonathon instantly perked up. "Really? Didn't they bury their treasure with them?"

Evie stopped and whirled around to face them. "Don't bother the doors."

"Why?" Jonathon asked.

Evie set her mouth in a firm line. "Because they have curses protecting them. Curses that have absolutely no mercy at all. To mess with these doors is to execute your own death sentence. And the curses assure that you don't get an easy death."

Jonathon paled. "Oh."

"So we are now further into the center of the city right? Or at least not that far from it since we are here around the Pharaohs tombs?" Rick asked Evie.

Evie turned back around and started heading back down the hall again. "Yes, we can't be that far from the places of the city that we have been in before."

She saw that there was a turn in the hall up ahead. When she reached it, she stopped and peered around the corner of the turn. Having seen what was around the corner and further down the hall, she looked back around at Rick and Jonathon behind her. She put her finger up to her mouth motioning for them to be quiet. They came up beside her and looked down the hall but saw nothing alarming.

This part of the hall was different than the ones that they had been going through. The doorways down this one were huge and wide with writings and one single large painted image above them. Further on down the hall, the hall turned to the right creating another corner.

"I know where we are now." Evie whispered. "This is one of the main halls. These large doorways are entrances to other temples. There is a temple here for each Egyptian god. This hall makes a large square and so can only take you either to the temples, here to this hall we came from, or to the hall that will take us to the treasure room."

"How do you know that?" Jonathon asked.

Evie gave him a pointed look. "Because Jonathon, when _he_ brought me here last time, we went through the treasure room and down one of the temple halls to Osiris's temple."

Jonathon looked sheepish at having to have been reminded about it. It passed quickly though for his face lit up with an idea. "Might we have time to go by the treasure room?" Jonathon asked hopefully.

Evie and Rick looked at Jonathon as if he was crazy.

"Well we might as well since we are here, right?" Jonathon tried to sway them.

Rick just shook his head 'no' firmly and Evie fixed an intense gaze on her brother.

"We've got too much to do already as it is Jonathon!" She quietly hissed at him in a reprimanding way.

Suddenly there was the sound of sand shifting and falling. All three of them froze and quickly looked down both halls but saw nothing.

"I think someone else is still down here." Evie whispered. "Come on lets hurry. The entrance to the temple of Osiris is around the corner in the next hall."

Going further down the hall, her walk was hurried yet she tried to remain as quiet as she possible could. As she began passing one of the other large open doorways with the writings and images above it, she read the inscription. It read, 'Goddess who lives in the underworld and devours the hearts of the wicked...Goddess Ammut.' indicating that this was the entrance to the temple of the goddess Ammut.

Continuing on down the hall, Evie took notice of each temple doorway and read each inscription above them to see which god the temple belonged to. Almost to the end of the hall, or rather a little more than halfway down it, Evie felt her attention drawn to one specific temple doorway. Something about it pulled her to it so stopped before it and cast her gaze up to read the writings and find out whose temple this was. 'Temple of great Isis. Mother of all, nurturer and protector. One who always is.' Seeing the figure of Isis and seeing her name above the door made a soothing and relaxed feeling wash over Evie.

Just like how she had felt in the ruins when standing before the golden door, in the hall that bore praises and images of Nefertiri and the room with the chest that held the bracelet that belonged to Nefertiri...Evie felt a undeniable connection to this place. Evie felt the gold and gem bracelet on her wrist, that was hidden beneath the black cloth she had tied over it, grow pleasantly and comfortingly warm.

Suddenly there was a hand on her shoulder that made her jump in alarm. She almost screamed but remembered to hold it in.

"Evie. Come on lets go." Rick whispered to her.

Evie wondered how long she had been standing there. With one last look up at the writing and the image of Isis, she reluctantly turned away and started on down the hall once again. When she was coming up to the next corner, she slowed and moved against the wall. Looking back to Rick and Jonathon she put her finger up to her mouth again to show them that they were here and to be extra quiet. They didn't know where Imhotep was and that made Evie nervous since the temple of Osiris was just around the corner.

Rick and Jonathon pressed against the wall and moved along it to her. Evie scooted further to the corner and just before she started to peer around it, she heard the whisper of sand, soft rustle of cloth, a scuffing noise and she even thought she hear the sound of soft footsteps. She looked back behind her to see that Rick and Jonathon had moved closer, thus making noise. Evie put out her hand to make them stop. When they did, everything was silent again. Yet Evie stood there still, a bit hesitate and unsure.

Yes Rick and Jonathon had moved but she was almost positive that she had heard something different than their movement. Evie leaned against the wall and slowly peered around it.

The hall was semi dark but Evie could see slowly swirling mist in the air, or perhaps it was smoke. She was still as she watched it cautiously wondering what it could be. But the mist dissipated and the air was still. Evie waited a moment longer to make sure that it had been nothing. And though nothing else out of the ordinary happened, she remained wary.

Turning back around she motioned to Rick and Jonathon. Evie, Rick and Jonathon quietly stepped around the corner and into the adjoining hall. Directly ahead was the doorway to the temple of Osiris.

Evie felt her skin prickle in goose bumps at the sight of it. She figured that Rick and Jonathon would recognize it to, but in case they didn't she silently she pointed to it. From their expressions, they did indeed recognize it. Jonathon shook his head nervously as if he had chills but he was silent. Evie started for the doorway wanting to go ahead and get this done as quickly as possible. But just as she had made a move towards it, several things happened at once.

Rick was reaching out to her to stop her as he whispered. "I'll go down first." And it was just as he was finishing saying that, the whole ground shook and rumbled. Evie lunged toward the temple door and grabbed the doorway trying to keep herself upright. Rick teetered off balance and he and Jonathon fell backwards against the far wall of the hall. Just as suddenly, everything stilled.

Evie looked across the hall to Rick with alarmed eyes. Jonathon remembered this too and looked ready to run. Rick cursed as down the hall just a short ways, sand began to shift and come up from the ground.

"Go! Run back down the halls! I'll go get the book and meet you back at the archway to the city!" Evie had to cry out to him so he could hear her over the sound of the sand rising in a tower from the ground.

Rick shook his head. "I'm not going to leave you alone! We don't know where he is! He could kill you!"

The tower was rising higher and Evie knew that they didn't have any more time. She shook her head. "It's the scarabs Rick! Go now or you won't be able to out run them! I'll get the book!" Then she hurriedly ran through the doorway of the temple of Osiris and onto the stone landing.

"Evie!" Came a yell from outside in the hallway. Just then though Evie could hear the popping sound as the scarabs burst forth from the top of the tower of sand.

"Go Jonathon!" Rick yelled and then there were running footsteps back down the hall.

Evie started to hurry down the steps descending into the temple. The awful terrifying sound of the scarabs scuttling across the sand drove her on in a hurry. She prayed that Rick and Jonathon would get away and that she could too. Those scarabs were nasty, horrifying creatures.

As the sound of them grew louder, Evie started jumping down the steps two at a time while trying to keep her balance. She didn't stop even when it flattened out into a walkway that went around a small bend toward another smaller doorway. This smaller doorway was the doorway that led into the main temple chamber where the alter and the black water was. Evie hurried through the doorway, not even looking in it first to see if anyone was inside. She stayed focused on her feet as she continued taking the stairs two at a time in a race to get as far away from the scarabs as possible. Her legs were rapidly growing tired but she was almost to the bottom of the stairs so she forced herself to continue onwards.

Just about five steps from reaching the bottom, her tired legs gave in when she stumbled on a step. Losing her balance she pitched forward and landed in a heap on the stone floor that luckily had a deep patch of sand on it. Laying there in the patch of sand atop the stone floor of the temple, Evie raised herself up on her arms and looked up the stairs toward the doorway. She took a deep breath of relief when she didn't see an army of scarabs coming down them to eat away her flesh.

Evie sat up and felt the sand clinging to her clothes. Thankfully her turban had softened the blow to her head from her rough landing. Her veil had sort of kept sand out of her face but not very well. Evie reached up, took her head band off and then took her long black cloth for the turban down before replacing her headband on the crown of her head so she wouldn't have to carry it. Gripping her folded turban cloth in her hand, she brushed sand from her hair and face. Huffing she blew sand from her lips.

Carefully and slowly she got to her feet doing a mental check to see if there were any injuries. Asides from her legs being sort of tired, her head sort of dizzy and being just a bit out of breath...she was alright. Glancing down at her clothes, she saw that sand clung onto her brown pants and black billowy top. Evie dusted the sand off and tried to decided what to do with her turban cloth. She didn't want to have to hold it so she unfolded it to its full length, which was about half her height. Holding it out, she rolled the top a bit and then wrapped it around her waist, tying it in place, so that it hung about her like a skirt.

Evie looked back up the stairs, hoping that Rick and Jonathon were ok. Turning around to look about the main temple room warily, her eyes swept over the familiar scene. The black stone alter, where three years ago she had been chained so that he could complete the ritual to bring Anck-su-namun back to life, was still there. The wooden table, that had once held the decayed mummified body of Anck-su-namun, however was not there. Further scanning the room, she realized that things had sort of been tidied up from the result of the fighting and chaos that had happened the last time they were here. For a fleeting moment she wondered who would have cleaned things up and set the temple back in order but then she realized that of course it must have been Imhotep. After all he was a priest and this was the temple of Osiris which he was in charge of caring for.

Wildly she looked about the room to see if he was here with her somewhere. But as her eyes scanned the orderly temple room, she didn't see any other being here. Matter of fact it was silent...too silent. Evie noticed that the Osiris warrior mummies that would only obey the orders given by a person who read the chant from the face of the Book of Amun-ra, were not there either.

This puzzled Evie. Where were they? They were not supposed to move or do anything unless ordered to by the person. And the last one to read the chant and make them obey had been Jonathon. With a gasp of realization, Evie ran over to the pool of black water, kneeled by its edge and tried to peer into it. Due to its murkiness, she of course couldn't see anything. Casting her gaze about the room, she looked for something to use to fish the book out of the water, if it was there. And Evie was afraid that it wasn't.

Evie spotted a shield leaning against the wall. So standing up, she ran over to it and grabbed it up before going back to the edge of the black pool. She kneeled down and lowered the bottom of the shield into the water. Evie moved it around trying to find the Book of Amun-ra. Yet as the bottom of the shield ran over the bottom of the black lake, there was no indication that it was there.

"No. No. No. Where is it?" Evie exclaimed, starting to feel panicked.

How could it not be here? No one had known that it had fallen into the lake.

It was then that Evie felt a strange feeling pass over her. She could feel a tension in the air. There was a feeling of power, purpose and determination present in the room. It sent shivers through her and once again she felt her skin prickle with goosebumps. Evie sensed that she was no longer alone. Someone was here and watching her. As much as she didn't like the idea, she knew without a doubt who it was.

Evie instantly dropped the shield, which made a plunk sound as it hit the water and sunk beneath its murky depths. She quickly stood up and looked across the room to the other set of stairs that would lead to other numerous rooms of the Osiris temple. Evie froze in sudden shock and fear. Her heart sped up as she stared at the powerful figure at the bottom of the stairs across the room.

He looked the same as she had last seen him when he had been wholly regenerated. His skin gleamed, his black Priest of Osiris robes were about him yet parted showing his bare muscled chest like before. The loin wrap was still around him and his Osiris amulet necklace hung down against his chest. From here she could see that he had the same amulet bracelets as before and braided rope bands around his calves. All in all he looked just as intimidating, powerful, and determined as ever. Actually he looked more so which did nothing to help her calm her nerves.

Evie took a step back unable to tear her gaze away from the sight of him. When he started coming across the room with sure purposeful strides, she felt adrenaline race through her body making her ready to run. But what affected her more was his compelling, direct, powerful gaze that seemed so deep and intense even from this distance. It was as Imhotep was coming around the black alter and still coming toward her, when impulses kicked in and she went into immediate action.

Evie whirled around and headed for the stairs that she had previously come down earlier. She started up them feeling the achy burning in her tired legs as she did so. She expected at any moment for him to use his powers and stop her, toss her off the steps to the stone floor down below or appear before her to halt her. Yet nothing happened. When she got to the first leveled out walkway portion of the stairs, a flicker of hope arose that she was going to succeed in getting away. That hope was abruptly extinguished when suddenly four of the mummy Osiris warriors dropped from the ceiling high above and landed not but two to three feet in front of her with their swords and spears drawn.

Their sudden appearance caused her to startle and begin backing away from them as fast as she could. Too busy with the deathly mummy warriors before her, she wasn't paying any attention to how far she was backing away or where she was backing to. She took a backwards step with her right foot but instead of standing back on stone, there was nothing but air for she had stepped off the walkway. Teetering on the edge of the walkway, Evie lost her balance. As she began falling to the stone floor way below, she hit her side on the edge of the walkway.

Careening downwards into the dark, sorrow started to fill her. She was fixing to die any moment now, she thought as she started to black out. As she began losing consciousness, the sensation of falling disappeared and instead she felt like she was suspended in mid-air. The last thing she felt was that she was suspended in air yet somehow horizontally moving in a direction. Which direction she didn't know...for she fell into a deep sleep.


	8. Chapter 8: Princess Nefertiri

**Thank you for the reviews! They definitely help motivate me to try to update as soon as I am able.**

 **This chapter is the longest one so far. Enjoy!**

Slowly Evie began to regain consciousness. The black nothingness sleep that had enfolded itself around her, dissipated. Her eyelids felt heavy and at first she couldn't open them. It had also left a dizzying haze on her mind for it felt fuzzy. Then she became aware of the other sensations in her body. She ached. Her legs, her arms, her whole body felt tired. There also was a sharp pain in her side. Evie took a deep even breath and opened her eyes. Shouldn't she be dead right now? What had happened? Why was she still alive?

There were voices somewhere not too far away. She could hear them. At first they didn't sound familiar and she thought she couldn't understand them. Her fuzzy mind though started to clear and she could hear better and focus more.

The language being spoken, that she had thought she couldn't understand at first, was ancient Egyptian and she could understand what they were saying now. And the voices. One she didn't recognize at all but the other...she could never forget that voice. Not having heard it in a long time, it made her feel strange to hear it now. It awoke something inside her that she couldn't find the words to define.

Evie wasn't sure where they were so she didn't dare move. Casting a subtle glance around at what she could see, she observed that she was in a room that she had never been in before. There was a bit of dust on the stone wall a few feet away that she faced. A pitcher covered in cobwebs sat near the base of the wall, empty. Evie could tell that whatever she laid on was sort of high so she knew that she was not lying on the ground. It felt like some kind of ancient bed or cot.

The voices caught her attention again. It sounded like they were in a room beside this one, or rather outside this room. They spoke in ancient Egyptian but she understood it like as if they were speaking plain English.

"Servant, tell me now what the Priest of Seth is planning. I have no more patience." Imhotep's voice was strong and firm giving no option for refusal.

The other voice held fear. "My Priest...I do not know everything that he has planned. I...I already told you everything that I, I...know. He is...looking for a certain woman. Umm...well really a reincarnated woman. He does not… know who the reincarnated woman of this time is. He doesn't know her name...or where she is. But the woman he needs is really a...a...reincarnated Princess Nefertiri."

Evie felt incredulous. What were they talking about? The Priest of Seth was looking for a woman that was a reincarnated ancient Princess? That sounded bizarre to her. As far as she knew, reincarnation didn't exist. But then again, once she had thought there was no such thing as curses or magic or walking talking powerful mummies. She had been wrong about that. So it was very possible that she might be wrong about this. On a positive note from all of this, at least she was learning more. If there was a true reincarnated Princess Nefertiri, Evie wished she could meet her. There was so much that she wanted to ask and learn from her. She thought about the bracelet she wore. It had to be Nefertiri's, she was sure of it. So if she got to meet the reincarnated Princess, Evie would have to give her the bracelet.

"You do not know what use he has of her?" Imhotep demanded to know.

"Just...something about...the God Seth and binding Nefertiri." There was a pause and then the voice was even more nervous. "The Priest of Seth is determined on… finding her and fulfilling his task given to him by the God Seth. I, I...have heard the Priest of Seth say that he has to give Nefertiri to him. How...I do not know. But...it will make the god more powerful and then the, the priest will get to see the god."

"This is the truth you speak? If it is not punishment will be given. I only desire the truth. Do not try to deceive me." Came Imhotep's voice threateningly.

Evie could imagine the scene but she rather not. She tried to put her hands out to her sides to push herself up into a sitting position but she found that her hands were bound to each other. Evie turned over onto her back and lunged up into a sitting position at the end of the cot. She almost gasped from the pain in her side but she kept her mouth shut and did not let it out. Her eyes started to scan the room. She only had time to see that she was in some sort of small bed chamber typically used by servants when Imhotep's voice sounded and there was movement outside the closed wooden door.

"Our discussion is no longer alone for us to hear." Imhotep's voice sounded louder and the door creaked as it was opened.

Evie's gaze swung to the door to see Imhotep standing in the doorway with a smaller man back in the background wearing desert expedition clothes. Evie couldn't really see the man behind Imhotep very well but she assumed it was the archeologist. Yet she couldn't pay him anymore attention further because Imhotep, standing there powerfully and imposingly in the doorway, took all of her focus.

Evie didn't know what to do. In this room she couldn't get away so he could just kill her now. Terror rode through her but then she remembered how she thought she was going to die earlier and how right now she should be dead. So she spoke to him in Egyptian.

"Why am I not dead? How am I alive?" Evie was surprised to see not a sneer but an amused expression on his handsome face, increasing her confusion even more.

Imhotep turned to the other man. "Leave. I will have need of you later but not now."

The man disappeared from her sight but obviously had not left to the other room yet for Imhotep did not look to her until he had. When Imhotep stepped inside the room, Evie's heart raced and her stomach churned in anxiety. He was going to kill her now. She just knew it.

"It was not right for you to forever sleep in death. I saved you from the fall. I kept you from falling to your death." Imhotep told her. His eyes were fixed on her intensely. "I believed that I never would once again see you. My thoughts were that you would never return here again yet destiny still ever holds and brings you back to me."

Evie stood up from the cot and faced him. "There was not really any choice." She paused and hesitated afraid of the bad turn the next questions might take. "Why did you save me? I thought you wanted me to die."

"Why would I desire for you to die?" Imhotep asked her stunning Evie into temporarily silence.

"Why? You came after me in Cairo, took me here to Hamunaptra, chained me to an alter, and you were going to kill me! Then we ruined your plans and I took away your immortality so you could be killed!" Evie said so stunned that she was no longer feeling fear.

Imhotep stared at her with his piercing eyes. "From your eyes without understanding, it does appear that I would wish for your death. But I do not wish for your death. You are not meant to sleep in death Nefertiri."

Confusion crossed Evie's face. She wasn't sure what was happening. Either she had died and was in some sort of underworld, or either she was crazy...or he was. What was he talking about? How could he not want for her to die?

She shook her head showing that she didn't understand. "Why wouldn't you want me to die? And why do you call me Nefertiri? That is not my name."

Imhotep looked really amused now. The corners of his mouth lifted in a small grin. "There is much that you do not yet understand. In time you shall come to understand it all and remember all."

"What are you talking about?" Evie asked growing angry and nervous while growing more and more confused.

Imhotep took a step toward her. Evie backed up a step watching him carefully. Imhotep could see her wariness and fright so he turned and went to stand against the other wall where the head of the cot was. Evie's eyes went to the door. He was fairly close to it and would probably stop her but it was a shot and she wasn't going to pass it up.

Evie, with bound hands, darted across the room for the door before Imhotep turned around. She had almost reached the doorway when suddenly she froze as if time had stopped. She couldn't move or do anything, she just stood there only able to look out the doorway instead of pass through it.

Imhotep's voice sounded. "Do not flee from me Nefertiri. There is much that you should know. There is much that needs to occur. Time is quickly passing before the Priest of Seth returns."

Still frozen, Evie was turned around to look back into the room and at him. Imhotep still faced the wall but his face was turned towards her. His left hand was extended and his palm was open and pointed towards her. When he pulled his hand back towards him, Evie was brought closer to him. She tried to move but couldn't do anything.

Imhotep's right hand raised and moved in a short wave. The wooden door to the room closed even though no one was there to close it. It was hard for Evie to realize that he was actually the one keeping her still, moving her to him, and closing the door. He was using his powers, ones she had never seen before. That explained how she had not fallen to her death. Imhotep must have suspended her in the air and brought her to him. Though she was wary and afraid of him, he had saved her life so she couldn't help but feel gratitude towards him.

Imhotep turned around and brought her closer till she was just about four feet away from him. Then he started to circle around her till he stopped between her and the door. She was turned about to face him again. She couldn't miss that piercing gaze. It seemed to bore into her.

"Let me go." Evie tried to move again.

One corner of his mouth turned up in a half smile but his hand lowered and she could move again. Evie didn't go anywhere though. One, behind her was the cot and before her was Imhotep. Two, Imhotep had already shown her that he could stop her with his powers.

"Listen to me Nefertiri. There is much I need to tell you." Imhotep told her not looking anywhere but at her.

The way he was looking at her was unnerving her. So she didn't look at his eyes, instead she looked away to the other side of the room. Really she didn't want to be here but apparently Imhotep wasn't giving her any choice. And the way he kept calling her Nefertiri, desiring to tell her things and the way he was looking at her was confusing her and it intrigued her. Evie accepted that for now she couldn't do anything else so she might as well learn what she could from the enemy and listen to whatever he wanted to tell her.

"What is there for you to tell me?" Evie asked.

Imhotep was pleased with her decision to listen. "Do you know who Nefertiri is?" He asked her quizzically.

Evie glanced up at him. She nodded. "Yes. She was a Princess of Egypt , daughter of Pharaoh Seti and sister to Rameses." Evie remembered that Imhotep would have known her from the ancient times. She looked up to his eyes and tried to meet his gaze. "You knew her once didn't you? You both lived in the same time period and you both were in the palace."

Imhotep nodded. "I knew Princess Nefertiri from a young age. She was only three years younger than I. I knew her very well and saw her about every day." He stared at her for a minute making Evie feel nervous. She had to break gazes with him and look away.

"Upon awakening, you heard what I spoke of with the servant. You heard that there is a reincarnated Nefertiri and the Priest of Seth is looking for her." Imhotep stopped again. He took a small step forward.

Evie jumped and disliked at how close he was, only two feet away. His presence before her was almost overwhelming. She was ready to step away but he held his hand out to stop her. He didn't use his powers, he didn't have to. She could feel his gaze even as she looked away.

"You are Nefertiri. It is you who the Priest of Seth is looking for." Imhotep stated.

Wildly Evie looked directly to him. "What?"

"You do not believe in reincarnation?" Imhotep asked her.

"Well, I am not sure. I didn't believe in curses but then..." She faded off and had to look away.

An understanding sly smile crossed Imhotep's face. He knew that she spoke of him and how she had unknowingly raised him. "Reincarnation does exist. I knew not about what was to happen with Princess Nefertiri until my first death when I was cursed with the HomDai. Since my recent awakening and since I learned from the slave what the Priest of Seth desires and what the god Seth desires, I have been here in the under city studying more about what was, what is and what needs to be." He paused, studying her.

"You knew that I was awake and here." He stated rather than asked.

Evie gave a small nod but she was thinking to herself. The Med-Jai had said that Imhotep stayed down here a lot and now she knew why. He had been looking into this subject of how Nefertiri was or could be associated with the Priest of Seth. But there was still a lot that she didn't understand. Like why Imhotep thought she was Nefertiri, or what the Priest of Seth wanted to do with the reincarnated Princess.

"But how can you believe that I am this reincarnated Princess Nefertiri. I do not remember things or know things like I would if I had been her. Wouldn't I know if I was reincarnated?" Evie asked still bewildered by this possibility.

Imhotep gave a small shake of his head. "No, you do not have to remember. You can't remember anything unless it is triggered and the connection between your present self and past self is made available to you." He paused and closed his eyes.

Evie felt her head grow a bit fuzzy and suddenly her thoughts were running through the first time she started to have the ancient dreams, to the pull of going to the ruins, the gold muted door, the hall and room of Nefertiri, the chest and pillar and the bracelet. And then the dream that she had had not but an hour ago of seeing him walking down the palace hall and watching her, looking at her with intense eyes.

The images disappeared and no more thoughts automatically ran through her head. Evie put a hand up to her head and stumbled to sit down on the cot behind her. She had to let the dizziness pass before she looked up to Imhotep. His eyes were still closed only he didn't look like he was concentrating...just enjoying something for he wore a pleased smile. Finally his eyes opened and went straight to her.

"You dreamt of me." Imhotep said with the smile still present.

"What did you do?" Evie asked anxiously wondering if he had hurt her or did something terrible.

"I looked into your mind and saw the signs of the connection between your present self and your past self. The dreams, the pull to go to those ruins you had is because they are from your reincarnation. The dreams really happened in your life as Princess. Everything you have seen really happened. The pull to go to the ruins were because it was your ancient self trying to connect and come together with your present self. It is leading you on the path to discover yourself as a reincarnation, as a Princess of Egypt." Imhotep's hand came out with palm toward her. His power took her hand from her forehead and stretched it out toward him. He was looking at the black cloth tied above her wrist.

His other hand came out and waved away. The black cloth around her gem and gold bracelet came off and fell to the floor leaving the bracelet to shine and glow. Evie watched Imhotep wondering what was he thinking and what he planned to do.

"The blessed bracelet of Isis and Hathor, goddesses who gave this bracelet to Princess Nefertiri, their chosen." Imhotep's eyes looked over the bracelet, studied and read the writings. Then his eyes went back up to Evie's as he let her drop her hand. "I can further prove you are Nefertiri. You knew how to enter the hall and room from a dream. You knew the fire stands had to be lit in order. Tell me what the pillar said."

Evie took a breath. " _This pillar of stone is for only one who shall rightfully behold it. Carved for beauty to see what belongs to thee."_

Imhotep nodded in an asserting way. "If you were not Princess Nefertiri reincarnated, you would not have lived after reading the inscriptions on the pillar or upon opening the chest and you would not be able to wear the bracelet. This bracelet was meant and given only to Nefertiri. It is she who is the only one who can wear it." He paused for a moment letting this sink in for her. "You are Princess Nefertiri."

Evie was in shock. How could she be some reincarnated Princess? What were the odds of that? Why her? There was nothing beyond special about her. It was sinking in though as if unknowingly she had been waiting a long time to hear this, to realize this. She kept trying to find reasons or excuses that she wasn't Nefertiri but everything she came up with was saying she was. All those dreams, always seeing Nefertiri in her dreams but never seeing her face, knowing people and places in her dreams like as if she had once been there and knew it by heart. How she had been able to know how to get through the golden door, the hall praising Nefertiri, the room with the fire stands, the pillar, the chest, the bracelet and the way she had felt a pull to the temple of Isis.

"The bracelet's writings, do you understand what they mean? Do you know why you feel a pull towards the goddesses Isis and Hathor? Nefertiri, you, are their chosen one. They blessed you and protect you. This is what the bracelet speaks of. Isis and Hathor blessed you, sent you their praise, send their protection, send their spirits out to you. I feel the blessings from Isis most of all. For she was the wife of the god I serve...of the God Osiris. The goddess is with you." Imhotep told her his eyes growing more intense with something that Evie wasn't sure she could identify. She had never seen such a look from him before.

Evie looked down for a moment. Then she looked back up to Imhotep. "Is this why you do not kill me? I am blessed by the wife of your god?"

Imhotep shook his head. He waved his hand and the rope binding her hands together fell free from her wrists. "There are more reasons behind my actions Nefertiri. Now is not the right time to share them with you. There is more that needs to be done before that time comes." As he said this it surprised Evie to see a bit of sadness about him like as if he wanted desperately to tell her but knew he shouldn't and so he wouldn't.

"If I truly am Princess Nefertiri, what do I need to fear from the Priest of Seth? What is he going to do? Why does he want the reincarnated Princess? Does he wish for her death? For my death...if I am her?" Evie asked growing fearful again.

Things were not looking any better, they were looking more and more complicated then she had ever thought they could be. Here she was with a powerful Priest of Osiris who she had thought would kill her but didn't. There still was the challenge of getting rid of the Priest of Seth and Imhotep but first she needed to find the Book of Amun-ra, which she now assumed, had to be in Imhotep's possession. Not to mention that she might possibly be a reincarnated Princess that the Priest of Seth was looking for. This was defiantly more than she had wanted to deal with.

Imhotep looked a bit peeved that she still wouldn't acknowledge that she was Nefertiri but he answered her anyway. "The Priest of Seth is doing this for his god Seth." He paused. "I am sure that you do not know what is linked to you Nefertiri, what contract destiny has made for you. I recently have been studying more about your part in this and now know more than I did. I believe I know what the Priest and Seth plan."

Imhotep went on to explain more. "As blessed as you are Princess Nefertiri, you are not meant to sleep in death. You are not to enter the underworld to stay. Instead you are to rise as an immortal, as a goddess. This is your first reincarnation. If you are not bound to an immortal before this present life you have ends, you will reincarnate again and again until you are bound and rise as an immortal and a goddess."

Evie had been casting her gaze aimlessly about the room as he had been speaking to her only now she swerved her gaze around to focus on him. She had thought there couldn't be any more surprises but here was another. "What? What do you mean bound? How am I supposed to be bound? To an immortal? What kind of immortal? What will happen to me when I am bound?"

Imhotep smiled at her rushed onslaught of questions but then it dimmed into seriousness as he answered her. " _The chosen of Isis and the chosen of Hathor, blessed by both and beauty incomparable beyond the sun, is destined to become one of which blessed her. Bound, she must be to become. To an immortal whether man or god immortal, this gives her the power of gods and name of goddess._ "

"Those words and knowledge were located in a secret temple for the future goddess Nefertiri. You have to be bound Nefertiri, one way or another to fulfill your destiny. Only then will you never pass to the underworld. Only then will you have powers of a god and be called goddess." Imhotep explained.

Evie's mind still raced with questions. "You hardly answered my questions. I still need to know more about being bound. You told me why but how do I become bound?"

"There are two ways that you may become bound. The grandest way is if you are bound to a man immortal. There are two types of immortals. The living immortals on earth and the god immortals. If you are bound to an immortal man that brings forth deep emotion and passion in you then you and the man immortal will be powerfully bound by the love you share for all eternity. If you are bound to a god immortal, then you as a goddess can either live with the god in its realm or remain on earth. By remaining on earth, then the god will be allowed to come to earth and walk upon its surface. Thus you will increase the god's power. You will make whoever you are bound to more powerful."

"To be bound in this way to an immortal...a ceremonial knife that belongs to the immortal is used to pierce the immortal's chest and then used to pierce yours. For it is the immortal sharing his immortality with you that binds you forever to him." Imhotep explained further to answer her question.

Evie fought to breathe evenly and calm a growing sense of anxiety brought on by this news. "You mean that I have to be bound and to do that I have to be stabbed with a knife?"

Displeased by the notion, she wondered if there was a way out of it. "Why do I have to be bound to a man? Can't I be bound alone?" She asked him.

Imhotep looked agitated as if he wished that she had not asked him this. He acted like he knew he needed to answer her truthfully but wished that he didn't have to.

"Yes." He looked sort of angry. "You can be bound alone. It is a different process and does not make you the grandest as if you are bound to an immortal. It is a process with chants, spells and a ritual. It also does not assure your invincibility as much as being bound to an immortal would."

Evie perked up upon hearing this. "Well it sounds better than having to be stabbed." She paused, thinking over what he had said. "What would happen to the immortal if they are bound with me?"

"You and he live together for all eternity. Never apart. Always together sharing an everlasting love." Imhotep looked more pleased with this answer he had to give.

Evie was curious as to why some of these answers pleased him more than others. Why did this seem to matter to him? Then she froze when a different realization dawned on her.

"Is this why the Priest of Seth wants me? The god Seth wants me to be bound to the Priest so he will be even more powerful?" Evie questioned, dreading the answer but needing to know all the same.

Imhotep shook his head. "No, Nefertiri. The Priest of Seth looks for you because the god Seth wants you to be bound to him. You are to be bound to the god Seth to make him stronger and so he can come down from his realm and walk upon the earth to reign upon it as he wishes."

To Evie it felt like her heart was about to lurch from her chest and her mind reeled. This was way worse then she had thought possible. She had to look down and put her head in her hands to try to stop the swirling dizziness in her head.

Suddenly Evie felt a change. The presence of Imhotep was stronger and closer. It made her whip her head up and she froze stunned to be staring straight into Imhotep's eyes. For he had moved another step closer and knelt before her so his face was level with hers. This brought back memories of the previous times that she had ever been this close to him and they all were either when he had kissed her or she had kissed him. It awoke the fluttering feeling of butterflies in her stomach.

Unable to tear her gaze from Imhotep's, she noticed that his eyes held an intense emotion but since she didn't know him very well she couldn't define nor recognize what it was.

His breath waved over her and tickled her cheek. "Do not fear Nefertiri. I will not let the evil Priest of Seth bind you to his god. One such as you should not be bound to something so evil. I will do everything to keep you from him. You have my oath, my word, my...promise." This last word, promise, he whispered tenderly.

Why was he acting this way? Why did he act like he cared about her? He had every right to want to kill her or wish her ill will yet he had saved her and was promising her that he would keep her safe. Why? Why should he care?

"Why?" She shook her head showing she didn't understand. "Why do you treat me this way? How can you seem to care about me when you have reasons to kill me? Why would you care for me? You have another." Evie was afraid to bring up Anck-su-namun but she did anyways because she didn't understand this and needed answers. She felt like she was missing something big...something important.

Imhotep saw this. He saw her confusion. He saw she didn't understand. His expression was a mixture of sadness, pain and a dampened happiness. He started to reach out to her to hold her hand but he stopped. He didn't want to frighten her. And he knew that he could not tell her yet. She was not ready to hear what he longed to tell her. He had to think of her, not what he wanted but what she needed. "I do care Nefertiri. I never wished to kill you. When I took you away from the city you lived in and brought you here the first time I awoke, I did it with no ill intention. I had reasons Nefertiri. I cannot share them with you right now but I will when I see that you are ready to hear them. I know right now it is hard for you to believe me or trust in the words I say. But hear this Nefertiri. I do not wish to see you hurt or bound to Seth or anyone under him. I care about you Nefertiri. This is another promise I make."

Evie knew she couldn't hold gazes with him much longer yet she wanted to watch his face when she asked him this question. "How can I know that you are one who holds to the promises he makes?"

Imhotep was silent for a second. "I made a promise to someone and in trying to fulfill that promise, I was cursed." He paused. "I do anything, risk everything to fulfill promises I keep."

Then he stood and backed a step away before turning around and walking toward the closed door with his robes trailing the ground behind him. When he reached the door, he opened it and stepped through. But before he shut it, he looked back to her and gazed at her with that same unidentifiable intenseness in his eyes. Evie watched him transfixed.

"I promise you Nefertiri." He whispered before he shut the door.

Evie stared at the closed door still trying to process everything that had happened, everything that had been said, everything that she had learned. Did she believe it all? She wasn't sure.

The one thing she was sure of was that she still couldn't comprehend this new change see saw in Imhotep. He had never acted this way with her before. Well maybe that wasn't entirely true. Maybe he had acted this way a little bit last time but she hadn't really noticed it to this degree. This time this way he acted toward her seemed stronger and it was exceedingly obvious.

Her mind went back to the answer he had given her when she had asked him how she could know that he would hold to promises that he made. 'I made a promise to someone and in trying to fulfill that promise, I was cursed.' He had said. She knew what he had referred to… Anck-su-namun. He had promised to resurrect her and when he had tried the very first time, he had been cursed forever and made to endure the HomDai. So if he had been that determined and true to up hold a promise, then what more would he do now to fulfill a promise? After all he had made a promise to her and repeated it several times in fact within a few minutes.

Now that she was positive that he truly did care about her, she still wondered why. Why would he care for her? Perhaps was it because he had known her in the ancient times and thought of her as a friend? Though she didn't have the answer, she planned on finding out.


	9. Chapter 9: Timeless Love

Evie had been lying on the cot for a while trying to rest. She still felt tired but did not want to sleep. Despite what had occurred and been said between her and Imhotep, she needed to get out of here, find the Book of Amun-ra and get back to Rick, Jonathon, Ardeth and the Med-Jai. There were still things that needed to be done. The Priests needed to have their immortality taken away. Evie felt no qualms about aiding in eliminating the Priest of Seth but she felt slightly different about Imhotep now. There were things that he still had to explain to her. Things that only he knew. If they killed him then there wouldn't be anyone knowledgeable to help her with her reincarnation dilemma.

Evie sighed to herself. There was so much that she had to deal with and so much that she wasn't sure she understood. She stared at the bare stone wall with her back towards the door to the room. Earlier and after Imhotep had left, Evie had tried to see if it was locked and sure enough it was which rendered her unable to escape. So how was she going to get out?

There was the sound of footsteps outside the room and Evie stilled listening to them. The footsteps stopped but then there was the sound of the door making soft creaking noises as it was opened. Evie quickly stood up, wincing because of her side, and turned about to face the door with the cot between her and the door. Just as she had suspected, Imhotep stood there in the doorway looking in at her. She watched him as he stepped in and used his powers to close the door behind him.

He walked across the room and he stopped in its center looking toward her. Knowing now that for some unknown reason he cared for her, Evie wasn't sure how she felt or how to act towards him. Though he was currently being nice to her, he had been an enemy longer than he had been a friend so it was hard to view his as anything else.

Imhotep's eyes went from her face to her hurt side which she had her hand over. Then his eyes went up to hers again. "Your injuries are worse than I knew. I can heal you. You have to trust me though and sit still for me to heal your side." He gestured to the cot.

Evie held her side and looked from the cot to him wondering if she could trust him. Evie took a calming breath and hoped her decision wasn't stupid as she went around the end of the cot and sat down on it facing him.

Imhotep walked slowly towards her, so as not to startle her. Evie watched him a bit nervously but made herself remain still. When he got about a foot away from her he stopped and knelt down before her like he had done earlier when he had made his promise to her. His eyes searched hers to make sure that she was going to stay and not flee from him. He was very slow and careful as he raised his hands and started to move them toward her side.

"I am not going to hurt you Nefertiri." Imhotep said softly as he kept reaching out getting closer to touching her side. He could see that she was tense.

Evie took another steadying breath. Never had one man affected her so much in so many ways. But she did want to be healed and she was trying to remain still and trust him all though it was hard to do.

"Move your hand." Imhotep told her.

Slowly Evie took her hand away from her side and laid it in her lap. When his hands touched her side, it surprised her even though she had known to expect it. She jumped but then stilled. His hands were warm, she could feel them even through the fabric of her shirt. They were broad and strong...larger than her small thin hands. Evie had thought that they would be rough but in tending to her his hands seemed tender and gentle as they touched her injured side.

She made the mistake of looking to him and their gazes met. Evie felt electrifying tingles coarse throughout her body because of how he was looking at her. She saw the corners of his mouth lift just a bit in a smile before his eyes closed allowing her to break her gaze and look away from him. Evie heard whispering, low and unintelligible that flowed like a chant. Curious, Evie couldn't help but to look back at him. She saw that his eyes were still closed and the whispering came from his slowly moving lips.

In an instant her side turned ice cold, making her gasp in surprise. Goose bumps appeared on her arms and just when she didn't think she could take the cold anymore, Imhotep's whispering grew a bit louder and faster. He pressed his hands a little more against her side and she felt warmth flow from his hands, through her shirt and to her skin. The warmth took away the cold and spread throughout her whole body erasing the goose bumps as it progressed. It felt like the warmth was renewing her body all over. Her tiredness was gone, dizziness gone, and the aching in her side and legs was gone. Evie closed her eyes allowing herself to enjoy the comforting and renewing sensation that spread through her.

After a minute, Evie felt the strength of the healing warm flow ebb and stop. Her body still tingled but it no longer was flowing into her. She opened her eyes and saw Imhotep watching her, his hands now away from her side. He had a pleased expression as he looked at her.

"You are healed Nefertiri. Your strength has returned." Imhotep told her.

Evie felt like she was put in a spot light and everything was waiting for her to say her line. She still felt strange around him yet he had healed her so shouldn't she say something to him to show appreciation? Even if he still is an enemy, it didn't call for her to be rude after what he had done for her. Imhotep did not have to heal her, he did not have to care but he did for some reason.

Evie felt nervous and her skin warmed now on its own accord and an unbidden blush appeared on her cheeks. She ducked her head and looked down at the ground between them. "Than..." She sighed and tried again. "Thank you." Evie glanced up to him but looked away quickly seeing that he still stared at her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a happy, pleased grin grow and spread across his handsome face. He looked truly happy and not frightening anymore. This made her look back to him for a better look. No, she hadn't imagined it. Imhotep did look happy, tender, caring and protective maybe?

"You are welcome Princess." Imhotep replied with his grin still present. He looked at her as if he could see her confusion and constantly changing emotions and feelings about him. Initially her expression had gone from confusion to surprise which in turn changed to gratefulness and curiosity before turning into uneasiness. He couldn't blame her for it either.

Since he still stared at her, it made her grow nervous and jittery. Evie wanted to move and distance herself from him but if she stood, then it would just make her closer to him. So she pulled up her legs and started scooting back away from him to the other side of the cot behind her.

Imhotep watched this with pain. He hated that she was so afraid of him and uncomfortable. He liked being in her company though she didn't like to be in his. It was still something too new for her and foreign to her.

Imhotep gave a sigh and stood up. He took a couple of small steps back to ease the tension and pressure on her.

Evie had stopped moving when he started to move. She heard him give a sigh as he had moved back. So, did he understand how she felt? Is that why he had moved? Evie believed so because of the way he had sighed...reluctantly. That sort of surprised her to see that even though she didn't want to be close to him, he wanted to be close to her. What had happened in the past? In her ancient life? Or was it something in the present that caused him to act this way now?

Evie was grateful that he had backed up. Now no longer feeling trapped, she resumed her previous seat on the edge of the cot. Imhotep remained where he was, still quietly watching her. Silence hung heavy in the room. Wasn't he going to leave now or was he going to talk to her some more?

His voice broke the silence like as if slicing through it with a knife. "You still do not believe the things that I have told you?"

Evie fumbled with her fingers. "I am not sure. Before this I had enough going on. Now with what you tell me, it is still hard to fully believe but I don't think that I can deny it either. I don't really know what to do about this."

Evie shook her head to herself and sighed. "I've been through so much crazy stuff it is like I am trying to make a long list of everything unbelievable that I can get myself into." She muttered to herself.

Imhotep heard this though for he gave a small huffing laugh that was brief and quick.

Evie looked up to him in shock. She hadn't heard him laugh good naturedly before. The only times she had ever heard him laugh, they had sounded evilly victorious or scoffing. The smile she saw on his face made her turn her face away from him and her cheeks started to redden. At first she felt embarrassed but then she got angry. How often was it that she always had to be the damsel that was always timid, shy, captive or useless? Answer...always. Where had her new growing self-confidence gone? She knew it was still there but it was still shaken a bit from all these new interactions between her and Imhotep.

Evie resolved to be more firm, demanding and fend for herself. She needed to get out of here. She needed to find the Book. And the only one to stop her was Imhotep. So what should she do? Well she did have those two knifes but since Imhotep still had his immortality trying to attack him would accomplish nothing. She knew even if she got the knife into him, then he would just pull it out and flick it across the room. She grew aggravated and stood up to face Imhotep.

"Now see here! I am tired of always seeming to end up helpless." Evie stared at Imhotep who was watching her with new amusement. "I have a task to do and need the Book of Amun-ra. It wasn't where it should have been and those mummy warriors can't move unless ordered. I know you have to have the book! Where is it?"

Imhotep took a step closer to her. The atmosphere seemed a bit more charged now. His amusement had faded and his expression was now serious. "Why should I let you have the Book Nefertiri? To kill me?"

A spark of fear flew through her. He was right. He knew better than to give it to her. But Evie decided to try to convince him otherwise.

"I need the book. I have to help kill the Priest of Seth. You know as well as I of what needs to be done." She reasoned. "If you give me the book, I will take it and leave to go make sure that it is done."

Imhotep took a menacing step toward her then stopped as she cringed. He faced her with a stern final expression. "I know what needs to be done Nefertiri but I will not give you the book. I have reasons to want to keep you safe...reasons why I care about you. You don't have any reasons to care for me though. I hope you will soon but now you do not. If I let you go then you might not develop any reasons to. I have waited too long Nefertiri. I will not let you depart from me."

Evie was confused again and aggravated. She still didn't understand and she wanted to know now. "Why won't you tell me your reasons? How could you be acting this way toward me? Why do you care? I want to know. Why should you care for me? I don't understand this at all and it is driving me crazy! By all reasons you should be wanting to kill me!" She took a deep breath and continued on. "For what have you waited too long? Why won't you let me leave?"

Imhotep was too quick as he strode those last few steps toward her. Evie started backing up in fear but soon unknowingly backed herself up against the wall. And before she could dart away, Imhotep was there. Right there directly in front of her. His intense eyes burning and looking down at her face keeping her frozen in place. He was so close to her that she wouldn't be able to move without brushing against him. For he was as close to her as he could be without touching...leaving her no room to move away.

Evie pressed herself against the wall. She felt like she wasn't breathing fast enough and fear over rode her. Oh why did she have to go and make him mad? Now he probably was going to kill her.

His voice came and when it did it surprised her. For it wasn't loud, or rough or threatening. It was soft, tender, whispery. The fierceness in his eyes dwindled and changed into that same burning intenseness in his eyes that he had had before. His breath and words whispered across her skin...across her cheek, her neck, her jaw. "Because...I love you Nefertiri. My Princess."

Evie felt like time had stopped. Like she was suddenly underwater and couldn't hear a thing or breathe. A fiercer shock than she had ever experienced coursed through her body making her feel weak, tired, frozen and thoroughly affected by it all the way to her core. She wondered if she had heard right. She wanted to protest and argue but she couldn't find her voice to.

Imhotep saw and felt her reaction. It coursed through not only her but him as well. This was shocking her but it felt so good for him to tell her...to finally let her know instead of keeping it hidden. He knew that she probably wanted to disagree, argue about it and that she had to have questions. She didn't understand, but he would explain it to her.

"I have known you Nefertiri since our youth. I became a Priest of Osiris and you were Egypt's Princess. Living in the palace I got to watch you as you grew more and more beautiful by the day, the night, the hour and the second. The fairest most beautiful flower of all Egypt...and the rarest. I was in love with you and always watched you whenever you were around. I wanted you to notice. I wanted you to be in love with me too. I didn't want to imagine my life without you. For a while I thought that you might love me, but then things changed. Anck-su-namun became a concubine for your father and it displeased you...it hurt you. Your close relationship with your father changed and was ruined because of Anck-su-namun. You hated her." He leaned his head beside hers to whisper in her ear. Evie was still. She was still in shock and could only listen to him as he breathed the story into her ear.

His voice turned pained now and sad. "I watched you come to grief, you sunk into a depression. I couldn't see the signs anymore whether you loved me or not. And just like you...I became broken. Hurt, I turned away from you and tried to seek a way to fill the hurt. I wanted to hurt you like you had hurt me. So I turned to Anck-su-namun. For a while I thought I loved her but then I came to realize that I didn't love her like I did you. I cared for her but not in the same way at all like she thought I did. If she had known that I always desired you instead of her, it would have hurt her. And when your father came, it was too late to do anything different. She wanted to kill him because she hated him. I wanted to kill him, not so I could have Anck-su-namun, but because you had been hurt by him Nefertiri."

Evie still couldn't say anything. She felt her eyes tearing up. Why? She didn't know. The only thing she could do was stand there pressing against the wall for support as she listened to her enemy tell her these mind blowing revelations. Listening to him tell her a side of the story that she had never known and never could have even imagined.

Imhotep's body pressed a little closer to hers. She could feel his robes against her but that was as close as he pressed. He still had an awareness that she was stunned, afraid and confused so he was taking this as slow as he could endure. He moved his lips closer to her ear where strands of her hair tickled his lips as he kept whispering the story to her.

"It was you Nefertiri. You saw Anck-su-namun and I kill your father from your balcony. You never knew my motives and I never got to tell you that I had killed him for you. I just didn't know that even though you were hurt and angry with your father, you still loved him more than I knew. It was you who called the Med-Jai to help your father. When they came there was no time for explanations, for truth. Even though I did not love Anck-su-namun like I did you, I couldn't leave her to face the Med-Jai alone. Yet she wished me to leave. She asked for me to resurrect her. I promised and left but not before I watched her stab herself. I did care for her...but not anywhere as much as I cared for you." He paused for a brief moment before continuing.

"When the time was right, I took her body from her crypt and raced to Hamunaptra to fulfill the promise I had made to her though I didn't love her anymore. The Med-Jai came and stopped the ceremony before she could return." Imhotep paused closing his eyes and feeling the tickle of her hair against his face.

Evie could hear the sadness in his voice. The pain of having let someone down, of failing. She had to really try to swallow the lump in her throat. His voice continued on, not through telling his story.

"I was cursed and made to endure the HomDai for trying to keep a promise." His voice sounded pained again but then it lifted. "See Nefertiri, I will do anything to uphold a promise. If I could do that for someone that I no longer loved...think of what I am willing to endure for you, the woman I've always loved."

Evie could see it all clearly now. She realized that whether she wanted this or not, Imhotep was going to be in her life. Imhotep was a powerful force that was going to make sure that he was always present in her life. He was like a shield, a protector wanting to do everything for her. Imhotep was unselfish when it came to her. He cared more about her than himself and the force of that truth hit her hard like an ocean wave breaking upon rocks.

Imhotep's voice softened and took on a pleased tone. "And when I first saw you after you unknowingly raised me from the dead, my vision was poor so I mistook you for Anck-su-namun. The next time I saw you in that city, I knew exactly who you were. I knew that I was once again looking upon my love, my princess. I wanted to make you mine so I took you away and brought you back here."

Evie was confused again and finally found her voice to respond. She didn't look at him but kept looking over his shoulder to the other side of the room like she had been doing as he told her the story. "I don't understand. You were going to kill me to bring Anck-su-namun back. You made a promise to her and were going to raise her but you needed a sacrifice. You were going to kill me to bring her back."

Evie was a bit surprised when she felt him nod his head beside hers.

"Yes I was, but I wasn't going to let you stay in death. I had a promise to keep to Anck-su-namun and I was going to keep it. But I wasn't going to let that be the end of you. I didn't know then very much about your destiny to become a goddess by being bound with an immortal, but I still could have shared my immortality with you and brought you back to me for this is possible with anyone not just you. You would have been bound to me and not died unless I did." Imhotep paused and brushed his head against her hair. It made a shiver pass through Evie.

"I know more now about your destiny. I know the boundaries, the process, the facts about binding you. Remember what I told you? If you are bound to an immortal man that brings deep emotions in you, brings..." His lips pressed closer against her ear and he whispered even more in a loving intense way. "...passion in you, then the two will be forever bound in life and in a deep, never ending, unbreakable love. The two could live here on earth or with the gods in the god's realm. They would be a powerful invincible force in favor with the gods."

Evie was starting to realize what his intentions were, what he was planning. It was overwhelming and the thought of it created a whirling storm of emotions spiraling through her.

"I promised that I won't let you be bound to the god Seth or even to the Priest of Seth. I won't let you be bound to anyone except one immortal." Imhotep said without whispering now. His voice was its normal volume now and in it she heard the finality of his plan, and what it was that he was determined to do.

Evie took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She knew who that one immortal that he would let her be bound to be. "You."

Imhotep stepped closer till she was against his chest. His hands came up from his sides and held her upper arms in a tender but firm grip. He leaned his head against hers. Evie could feel the slow rise and fall of his muscled chest. She could feel his breath tickling her ear and neck. Evie couldn't help but shiver as his breath and his presence sent tingles racing throughout her. Evie knew that Imhotep had felt her shiver because she felt him smile against her ear.

Imhotep leaned back bringing his face before hers and she found herself captivated by his intense gaze. She could now identify what that intense gaze of his held, love. "Yes my Princess Nefertiri, me. I love you Nefertiri and always will even after time has ended. After all life is gone. For all eternity. I promise to take care of you Nefertiri. I promise to love you for all eternity and even then forever may not be long enough. We will make you an immortal who will have the power of gods. We will make you a goddess to be accounted with the others. You and I will live and be bound forever. Our love will never end. Our bond never broken or undone. Because," Imhotep paused. "once you are bound Nefertiri, there is no way to undo it or break it. Once you are bound you always will be bound."

Evie wanted to be able to protest because this was definitely not a future she had ever wanted for herself. Now whoever could get to her first could bind her to them forever and she didn't really have a choice in the matter either. For none of them would allow her to be bound alone. Her only possibilities now were between the god Seth, an evil god of chaos and evil, or an evil Priest of Seth, or a Priest of Osiris who she didn't know how to feel about anymore.

"Me being bound to someone can't be forced can it? No one can make me can they? And you said that I had to love, to have feelings and passion for the immortal man, but...I...I don't. I don't feel anything." Evie said wanting to find a way out yet afraid to tell Imhotep that she didn't love him. She didn't know how he would react at being rejected.

"You are not supposed to be bound by force or bound unwillingly but there are exceptions and ways around that. The Priest of Seth shouldn't be able to force you but if he asks permission from a powerful god, then he can. He will ask for the god Seth to bless it and so he will be able to force you and bind you." Imhotep paused, a conniving expression appearing on his face.

"I could force you as well. I could call upon Osiris and ask his blessings to bind you and it would be stronger than Seth's permission would be for Osiris is the husband of the goddess Isis who protects you. But..." Imhotep paused again, his expression relaxing.

He moved his right hand away from her upper arm and up to tenderly rest against the side of her face. Looking into his eyes she saw the burning intense love he held for her. It amazed and frightened her a bit to see the strength and depth of that love.

She watched his lips part and heard his voice while being held and trapped by his gaze. "But I will not force you Nefertiri unless time has run out and it is absolutely necessary. I want you to come to love me and desire to be bound to me. I am willing to wait Nefertiri for I never want to lose you and I truly do want nothing but your love."

The grin Imhotep gave her made her heart race and breathing cut short. He sensed it too for his grin broadened. "You say you do not feel anything for me my princess? Then tell me why you dreamed of me and why it bothered you so. Tell me why you have not been able to forget those two times that I kissed you the last time I was risen. Tell me why my touch, my presence, my voice, my gaze causes you to shiver, send tingles through you that chill you, make your skin grow warm, make your cheeks redden, make your heart race and your breath grow short."

He smiled again which just made the tingles race again. Evie didn't know what to say. She had been trying to deny it but he was making her see that he did affect her more than she wanted to admit.

"You have feelings for me Nefertiri I can sense them. You do not quite know it yet yourself and you try to deny it. Right now you are still fearful of me and that emotion currently overrides any other feelings you have for me." Imhotep stared into her eyes reading whatever was in them.

"But I can help you see past your fear..." Imhotep trailed off and leaned his face towards hers. Evie was frozen unable to move or think. His eyes were locked with hers as he leaned closer. Then he tilted his head and placed his lips on hers with his eyes closed.

Evie felt his lips on hers and she couldn't move. She was suddenly flashing back to those other two times when he had kissed her. Evie had thought those times were surprising and stunning but with his lips on hers right now, those past kisses couldn't compare. His lips were warm on hers. She felt his right hand return to her upper arm so he was holding both of her upper arms. Then, his lips started to move against hers with a powerful intent, purpose and caress. Evie wasn't sure what to do. Her eyes closed of their own accord as she felt his lips move against hers.

Evie was still, motionless as he was kissing her in a sure, effective and experienced way. Warmth radiated through her like fire. Her mind was careening trying to keep a hold on her thoughts and her feelings swirled chaotically through her. She didn't know what to think. His kisses were affecting her more than she had thought they would. She was afraid to admit that there was something about him, something about his lips on hers, his touch and presence that she liked.

Imhotep started kissing her more quickly but still in that tender, loving and romantic way. He was wanting for this to affect her. He knew it would and he could feel that indeed it was beginning to for even though she remained still, he could feel her heart racing.

He rubbed his thumb against her arm as he kept kissing her. Though she wasn't responding to him by kissing him back, she wasn't revolting from him either. So this assured him that she did have feelings for him. Surely she had to love him but she just didn't know it yet. His heart lifted and he felt elated with the knowledge that he had a shot at successfully romancing her and helping her fall in love with him.

Imhotep didn't want to stop but he knew he needed to. He didn't want to press too much and push her over her limit. He didn't want to frighten her. This would just take time and he was willing to wait as long as needed till she would come to him and show him that she loved him like he loved her. He slowly stopped kissing her and left his lips pressed against hers for a few seconds longer before he pulled away.

Evie felt him slow and then stop. She opened her eyes and saw his intense gaze fixed on her and in them she saw what she had not wanted to see. She saw that he knew that he could affect her. Evie had to take a deeper breath to catch her breath again. She felt flushed and thoroughly stunned.

Imhotep grinned at her sending new tingles coursing through her. "You will not be able to deny it for long Nefertiri. I will do everything to help you come to see that you can love me. I will help you to come to love me with as much passion as I love you Princess. This is another promise I make to you."

Evie was locked in his gaze. She didn't know if she could ever pull away from his gaze. Suddenly though, Imhotep looked alert. His eyes closed and he seemed to be concentrating. Once he found whatever he was looking for or concentrating on, his eyes open right back on her. She saw that he looked troubled. But what could possible trouble him? She must have had a curious, worried look on her face because he answered her unspoken question.

"The Priest of Seth is almost back."


	10. Chapter 10: Reasoning

**Sorry for the delay in updating. I've been busy. Thank you all for being patient! And immense thanks to all of you who favorite/follow/comment on this story!  
You guys are awesome! :)**

"The Priest of Seth is almost back."

Imhotep took a step back from her, dropping his hands to his sides. He looked upward toward the ceiling closing his eyes for a minute before reopening them. "He isn't very far away and will arrive shortly. Just like I sense him, he has sensed my presence. He had gone to an unknown, remote temple in the west that is still full of its original magnificence. It is another temple, besides the one here in Hamunaptra, that is dedicated to you… the future goddess Nefertiri. No one knows of it but he and I. There in your temple, he called upon the god Seth to help him locate you, the reincarnated Princess Nefertiri. By then you were already here in the city so thus it was revealed to him that you are here. The Priest is coming back to get you so he can perform the ceremony to bind you to Seth."

This alarmed Evie for she gave a small nervous tremble and closed her eyes. What was she going to do? Without the Book of Amun-ra she was helpless against the Priest of Seth. Imhotep had promised he would take care of her. Now it was time for him to show that he would do whatever he could for her and she wondered what he was going to do. How did he plan to try to keep her safe? Her initial instinct was that she needed to leave and get away from here, but would he let her leave?

Evie opened her eyes and looked to him. "Since he knows I am here so I need to leave so he will no longer know where I am. I have to go so he cannot find me."

This pained Imhotep to hear talk of her leaving. Yet he considered her words. Grabbing her right hand, he gave a gentle pull to bring her to him. He gazed at her sadly and nodded in acknowledgement of her words.

"Though I do not desire for you to leave, you are right. It is best if you leave Hamunaptra. I would go with you but if I leave then the Priest will know that you have left as well. He will believe that I left in search of you. He is not yet aware that I know who you are but he will know that you have left the city none the less." Imhotep told her.

"Will you give me the Book of Amun-ra? I could take away his immortality and then he would be able to be killed. Whether we do it now or later, it needs to be done. The longer we wait, the more complicated and problematic it could become." Evie responded still hoping to convince him to give her the book so she could put an end to all of this.

Imhotep shook his head. "I cannot give it you to Nefertiri."

Despite her disappointment and aggravation that he wouldn't give her the book, Evie understood his reasons why. He knew that she still held some fear of him and couldn't be trusted with the Book in case she might try to use it against him. But it also wasn't reasonable for the book to remain in Imhotep's possession because he couldn't say the chant himself to be able to kill the Priest of Seth because it would take away his own immortality away too.

"I don't know yet how I feel about this. I am not sure what I am going to do about you and me but I do know that I have to be the one to help defeat the Priest of Seth. And I can't do it without the book. Please tell me where it is and then you should leave so that I can speak the chant that will defeat the Priest." Evie reasoned, because Imhotep wouldn't lose his immortality as long as he wasn't around when she spoke the chant against the Priest of Seth.

Imhotep stood there debating it in his mind. He wished he could trust her but he couldn't yet. She didn't love him like he loved her. It was true though that she needed to have the book because she was the only one who could help defeat the Priest.

"You cannot defeat the priest alone. Even after you read the chant to take away his immortality, he would still need to be killed. There would be no one to help you do so for I couldn't be there when you read the chant." He shook his head, discarding her idea. "I do not want you hurt."

Evie was taken aback by the concern he was showing. Yes he obviously loved her and cared for her but it still surprised her when he showed it because she still wasn't accustomed to his concern for her well-being. "I have help that I can go to not far from here. I will go to them for now and at a later time I will return for the book to fight the Priest of Seth."

Imhotep seemed a bit angry and perhaps was that a hint of jealousy? "Those you go to are the Med-Jai? And those two men you were with last time?"

Evie gave a brief nod. "Yes. I will be safe with them."

Grudgingly Imhotep nodded, thinking over the situation. "Then leave this city and go to them. Journey to that city that I found you in once before."

"Do you mean Fort Brydon in Cairo?" Evie asked.

Imhotep nodded in affirmation. "Go and stay in that city so the Priest does not know where you are. Then there will come a time for you to return to Hamunaptra. At that time you can take the book and fight against the Priest. But listen to me Nefertiri, I will be watching you and never be far away."

Evie narrowed her eyebrows curiously. "How will you be watching me if you are not with me?"

Imhotep didn't answer. Instead he stepped close before her and put his right hand up against her forehead. Evie was startled but couldn't move because he was keeping her still with his powers. Imhotep's eyes closed and he started mumbling a chant in a low tone.

Evie's eyes closed suddenly. She felt like she was fixing to fall asleep but before she could she fell forwards, unsteady on her feet. Imhotep was there to catch her. He pulled her to him and supported her by tucking her against his chest. Evie was dizzy for a second, a lingering after effect of whatever he had just done, but then after a moment it passed. She realized that her head was against his chest when she felt it rise and fall. Evie immediately straightened up and took a step back.

"What did you do?" Evie asked wary.

"I've created a mind link between us so that I will always know where you are. I can also speak to you through the link despite any amount of distance. In that way, I will be able to let you know when you can return to Hamunaptra for the book." Imhotep gripped her hand and headed for the closed wooden door. Evie couldn't help but follow.

Imhotep waved his hand and the door opened. He led her down a short hall then through a doorway into the main center room of the temple where the alter was. Directly across the room, she spotted the stairs leading out of the temple of Osiris.

Eyeing the distance from the stone floor to the stairs that she had fallen from, Evie again felt gratitude towards Imhotep for having saved her. She spotted the Osiris mummy warriors lined up single file on either side of the room and she eyed them warily. However they remained motionless.

"Nefertiri you need to know that the Priest of Seth cannot enter this temple of Osiris, the temple of Isis, Hathor, or Thoth. You are protected from him and his powers if you are in one of these. Should you ever need to find a safe place to go to so you can get away, go to any of these temples. The temple of Isis and Hathor are very safe for they are your protectors and guardians. Their temples are strong and you are safer in them than in the temple of Thoth. And here in the temple of Osiris you are safe not only because this temple is the temple of the god of your goddess's husband, but also because I am here and will let no harm come to you. I promised you." Imhotep told her as he led her across the main room towards the set of stairs leading up to the temple's entrance.

Even after being around him, learning so many things about herself, learning that he loved her, learning of his devotion, and hearing his promises, Evie still found it difficult to trust him and to allow herself to see him as something other than the enemy. And she still didn't like the idea of falling in love and possibly belonging forever to an enemy… even if she suspected that she might be starting to have feelings for him. Her mind kept trying to reinforce the thought that it was wrong to even begin to feel that way about someone that had been an enemy longer than they had been an ally.

"You know a path out of the city without going directly above to the surface of the city? A way to leave the city without crossing paths with the approaching Priest of Seth or the servants above?" Imhotep asked her as she followed alongside him, up the first set of stairs leading them out of the temple.

"Yes." Evie replied, already looking forward to getting out of this terrifying dangerous city of the dead.

They went through the archway and up the last set of stairs to the temple of Osiris doorway. Imhotep stopped when they reached the doorway and turned to fully face her. The gaze he fixed on her was full of emotion and conviction.

"No matter where you go Nefertiri, I will come and find you if you try to flee from me. I lost you once and will not lose you again. I will do anything for you to be at my side. This is not the last time you will see me my Princess. I will come to you again." He paused for a moment, maintaining his piercing gaze. "Do you understand?"

The pure determination and certainty in his eyes made her heart's pace increase. She had to take a slow, steadying breath before she was able to answer him. "Yes."

Having received her reply, Imhotep closed his eyes and was still for a minute before opening them again. "The Priest of Seth is now entering the city. You need to go now. Hurry and leave the city as fast as you can my love."

Evie stepped through the doorway and was fixing to take off down the hall when Imhotep's voice halted her. Evie whipped her head around and looked back at him.

"Remember, Nefertiri, my love for you and my promises. I will come for you again." Imhotep told her his gaze fastened unwaveringly on her.

Unsure of how to respond, Evie gave just the briefest, barest nod of her head to show that she acknowledged his words. Then turning around, she jogged down the hall to the corner. When she rounded the corner, she took off running down the hall past the doorways to the other temples. Soon Evie was running past the sealed Pharaoh's tombs and after another turn in the hall, she went past the doorways of the servant tombs.

A short while later, Evie took the turn through the last doorway and started heading down the tunnel that led to the exterior archway. In the tunnel it was darker than it had been in the city and since she didn't have a torch, Evie reached out and trailed her hand along the wall as she went along to help guide her. Soon she felt the edges of the doorway of the arch to the entrance to the city. Passing through it, she hurriedly kept going down the dark tunnel.

Finally Evie could see a faint light up ahead. She was almost there so she picked up her pace as she reached the end of the tunnel. Emerging from out of the tunnel, she came to a halt and began taking in deep breaths to catch her breath. She was tired and weary again, though it was no surprise as to why. Not only was it because she had been running but also because she had not gotten any sleep during the night.

Casting her gaze to the sky, Evie saw that the dark of night was starting to gradually give way to the breaking of dawn. She estimated that it was the early hours of morning which meant that she had been in the city with Imhotep for the majority of the night. It had seemed like she had been in the city much longer though than that though. It felt like she had been in there with him for a couple of days due to the gravity of all that she had learned and all that had transpired during the night.

Evie paused in her thoughts as she scanned the area which revealed that no one was around. Where were and Rick and Jonathon? Their initial plan had been to meet back here but since she hadn't returned in a reasonable amount of time, did that mean that Rick and Jonathon had reentered the city in search of her? Or perhaps did they return to the Med-Jai camp?

Hoping that they had done the latter, Evie started walking across the sand heading in the direction of the other side of the valley where the Med-Jai camp was. With her energy rapidly depleting, she made slow but steady progress across the sandy hills. Being able to breathe in fresh air and view the wide open sky above, as well as feel the warm breeze of the desert winds against her face helped relax her and ease the seemingly ever growing burden of stress that she had acquired ever since Ardeth had sought them out at the ancient ruins.

The sky was steadily getting lighter and though she couldn't see the sun rising on the horizon because the surrounding cliffs blocked her view, she could see the golden hues of dawn. She had only been walking for a few minutes when she heard the sound of horses coming this way. Soon five figures on horseback came from over the hill. She gave a sigh of relief when she saw that it was Rick, Jonathon, Ardeth and two other Med-Jai. As soon as they spotted her, they suddenly all stopped their horses abruptly.

"Evie?" Jonathon asked sounding shocked. She could see his obvious confusion in his expression.

Matter of fact as she glanced at each of them in turn, she noticed that they all held questioning looks since they obviously hadn't expected her to be here.

"Yes it's me Jonathon." Evie affirmed, a bit wearily.

They walked their horses up to her and stopped them a short ways before her. She was happy to see that they had made it out of the city alive.

"Where have you been all day Evie? Are you alright?" Rick asked looking her over like a visual check up to make sure she was okay. "Run into trouble?"

"Yeah ole' mum. I've been worried about you." Jonathon added.

"It is a long story." Evie looked from Rick to Jonathon. "I am glad to see that you two got away from the scarabs. Where did you go?"

"Instead of going back through the tunnel, we went up to the surface of the city since we knew that the scarabs most likely wouldn't follow us up there. We met up with Ardeth and the Med-Jai and were going to go back down to find you but a Med-Jai scout spotted the Priest of Seth coming back. So we had to hurry and get out of there." Rick told her not looking too pleased about what had happened.

"Ardeth and his pals gave us a ride on their horses. They're good chaps. Saved us from having to run out of there. 'Cause I wouldn't have made it." Jonathon said in an unusual chipper mood that Evie didn't expect.

Evie studied him quizzically. "What is with you Jonathon? You seem cheerful despite having gone through all of that."

Jonathon gave a huge grin.

"On our way up top to the surface we had to go through the treasure room." Rick shook his head disapprovingly. "He nearly got himself killed just to stop and grab some of the gold."

"But I'm here and richer! Look Evie!" Jonathon pulled out a gold short scepter that glistened in the morning light. "I saw it and had to have it! Isn't it something?" Jonathon asked admiring the scepter as if seeing it again for the first time.

Evie shook her head in an exasperated manner. "No, you're something Jonathon."

Jonathon looked up to her, shrugged and then went back to admiring his gold scepter.

Evie noticed that Rick and Ardeth were still looking at her, curiously.

"So what happened with you Evie?" Rick asked her.

"I'll tell you but we need to get out of here first." Evie replied looking around at them all. "We need to go to Cairo but first let's go back to camp. I need some water and would like to rest for a bit."

At this all of them, even Jonathon, perked up and looked more curious and stunned than before. Rick started to say something but Ardeth stopped him.

Looking over to Rick he spoke. "She will tell us what happened when she is ready to. In the meantime we should get back to camp and if she says that Cairo is where we need to go, I take it we should go there." Ardeth looked to Evelyn. "Time is short then and requires haste to get to Cairo?"

Evie nodded. "Yes. I can't go through the whole story right now because there is not enough time. But the most important thing for you to know right now is that we need to leave Hamunaptra. We will have to return at some point but for now we need to leave."

"How do you know this Evie?" Rick asked.

Evie hesitated. "You're just going to have to trust me Rick."

Rick didn't particularly like being kept in the dark. None of them did. They could see though that Evie was urging the matter so obviously it was for an important reason, even if she wouldn't tell them what it was yet, and that they needed to do as she said.

Rick sighed. "Fine we will go but Evie," He paused.

"Hmm?" Evie said to show she was listening.

"...you will need to tell us what happened sometime soon. We need to know." Rick stated.

She felt all of their gazes on her but didn't meet them. They all knew something big had happened but she didn't really want to talk of it now. Matter of fact she didn't even want to have to discuss it with them at all. She wasn't sure how she was going to go about telling them about the new revelation of Imhotep being in love with her or the fact that she was supposed to be bound forever to an immortal and that Imhotep was planning on binding her to him. So she took time in replying. "Ok, Rick. I will."

Rick held out his hand to her. "Come on, get on."

Evie moved to stand beside Rick's horse. She grabbed Rick's hand and he swung her up onto his horse's back, allowing for her to sit behind him. Evie put her arms around Rick's middle to help her stay on. Rick reached back and handed her his canteen. Taking it from him gratefully, Evie took a long drink to quench her thirst before she handed it back to him. Having turned their horses back in the direction of the camp, they all urged their horses into a lope. Evie leaned her head against Rick's back as they rode. The smooth rocking motion of the horse loping began to relax her. Tired and worn out from the recent events, she grew sleepy and soon fell asleep against Rick's back.


	11. Chapter 11: A Tidbit of Truth

**Yay! I was able to update sooner this time! :) Enjoy!**

Evie partially awoke, having detected a change. Why had that nice rocking motion stopped? It had been so relaxing and soothing.

"Evie?" Came a voice, Jonathon's.

"Shhh. Let her sleep." Rick's voice sounded.

Evie felt hands wrap around her and pull her down off of the horse that she now vaguely remembered she had been on. Still in a sleepy haze, Evie gave a slight jump of fear when she felt herself falling. Then she felt a pair of arms under her, supporting her and carrying her somewhere.

"Shhh. It's ok Evie. Sleep." Rick said comforting her as he carried her through camp to their blankets near the waterfall.

Evie felt the cool moist air coming off of the waterfall hit her skin. Since the coolness of the night was fading away and was being replaced by the increasing warmth from the breaking of day, it felt nice. Evie's eyelids fluttered when she felt herself being lowered down onto a blanket but they remained closed. Feeling the smooth blanket and soft sand beneath her, she buried her face against it to help block out the growing sunlight. Though she was exhausted and desperately needed to get some sleep, she didn't fall back to sleep just yet. Their voices caught her attention.

"What do you think happened while she was in there?" Jonathon asked with brotherly concern evident in his voice.

"There are any number of things that could have occurred. Whatever it was we know that it must have happened in the temple of Osiris because that was where you last saw her." There was a brief pause before Ardeth's voice sounded again. "She could have met up with the creature."

There was a soft growl. "He had better not have done anything to her or I'll send him to his undead hell again." Rick threatened.

"If she possibly met up with him, then is she somehow hurt and we do not know?" Jonathon wondered.

Ardeth was the one who answered him. "No, she doesn't seem to be hurt. She just seems weary. If she did meet up with the creature, it appears that he did not harm her."

"How could she have gotten away from him? She was never able to get away from him last time. How did she do it?" Jonathon asked curiously.

There was a brief moment of silence before there was the sound of Rick's voice.

"I don't know. I would have thought that mummy would want to kill us. We killed him and he obviously is one to hold a grudge. Maybe she tried to run away and not only lost him but got lost herself in the depths of the city." Rick stated thinking through his own ideas of what might have happened to her.

"I believe that there is even more to this than we can imagine. When she is ready, she will tell us what occurred." Ardeth told them. There was a pause, before he spoke again. "Sleep will do her good. We will let her sleep for a couple of hours before we head to Cairo."

There was the sound of fading footsteps and Evie guessed that Ardeth had walked away. The sound of soft movements nearby indicated that Rick and Jonathon were settling down to get some rest themselves.

"We should have gone back sooner. We knew better than to leave her there." Rick remarked, the sound of regret in his voice.

"Aw ole boy. My baby sister can handle herself. Besides there was no choice or time to go back. I wish we could have but there was nothing we could do." Jonathon spoke and was silent for a while before speaking again. "I just near about died of fright when that Priest of Seth chased us and swooped through us. I still don't know why he did that and didn't kill us, but I'm glad he left quickly."

"It almost seemed like the Priest of Seth thought we might have what he is looking for." Rick commented.

Jonathon gave an aggravated huff. "I wish we could hurry up and get rid of these Priests. Going through all of this is driving me crazy."

There was an agreeing murmur from Rick before they both fell silent. Somewhere in the distance she heard the sound of the other Med-Jai moving about and a horse neighed. Her exhaustion finally caught up with her again and Evie fell into a deep sleep.

Evie stirred and rolled over in her sleep a bit restlessly because she was dreaming of another reincarnation memory…and Imhotep was in it.

 _She was sitting on a soft large bed with golden silk sheets. A small, graceful jungle cat with spots lay curled up beside her. She was stroking its soft fur while it purred contentedly. The sound of voices coming from outside her huge lavish bed chamber, caught her attention. Then the double doors opened and two figures came through them._

 _It was her father Pharaoh Seti and behind him followed Imhotep, the handsome Priest of Osiris who she had known since youth. Just as soon as they had entered her room, the Med-Jai guards posted outside her room closed the doors._

 _"_ _Nefertiri." Pharaoh Seti, her father, said walking further into her room to stand in the center. Imhotep stopped and stood a little ways behind and off to the side of him._

 _She had noticed lately that Imhotep's gaze always seemed to be fastened on her. Though his gaze always made her feel a bit nervous, strangely she got the feeling that he was understanding and sympathetic of her. It seemed that he had noticed her glum mood ever since her father had begun spending so much time with Anck-su-namun. She felt somewhat betrayed by her father and she absolutely hated Anck-su-namun with a passion. So she was glad that the only times she for sure had to endure being around Anck-su-namun was when they met for dueling lessons once a day._

 _Even now Imhotep watched her with a sharp intense gaze that unsettled her and confused her. Why was he looking at her like that?_

 _She diverted her gaze away from him and instead looked to her father. All the while she kept stroking her palace jungle cat. "Yes father?"_

 _Pharaoh Seti took a step forward. Her eyes went to Imhotep expecting him to move to but instead he stayed where he was and flashed her a slow, stunning and charming smile. She ducked her eyes away from him and returned her gaze back to her father._

 _"_ _Tonight at the celebration feast for the gods, I want you to show off your new fighting skills. You and Anck-su-namun will duel. It will fill me with pride to watch my daughter duel before the Priests, Officials and guests of the Pharaoh. I know you will make me proud Nefertiri." Seti told her._

 _Her good spirits fell at the mention of Anck-su-namun. She had no desire to see that concubine again. But if she were to spar with her tonight, Nefertiri wanted to make sure that she would give Anck-su-namun a challenge in the fight. She wanted to make sure that she was a worthy opponent._

 _In her peripheral vision, she saw a change in Imhotep. It was like his spirits had gone down as well when hers had._

 _She nodded and issued a forced smile to please her father. "Yes father. We will spar tonight for you."_

 _Seti smiled oblivious to the fact that she seemed sullen now. "Dress in your finest and be ready for tonight." Seti turned and started walking to her bed chamber doors._

 _She watched her father go but looked to Imhotep for he hadn't moved to leave yet. She gazed curiously at him. Imhotep still watched her with his deep gaze. His eyes moved over her in a leisurely sweep that instantly made her self- conscious and awoke butterflies in her stomach._

 _Unable to hold his gaze, she looked away and back down to her jungle cat. Reaching out she ran her fingers through its fur and it started purring again._

 _It wasn't until her bed chamber doors started to open and her father was fixing to leave, did Imhotep turn and start to leave too. She watched out of the corner of her eye so it would seem that she wasn't paying him any attention. Her father went out the doors and down the hall. But when Imhotep stepped out into the hall, he stopped and threw one long last glance back at her before finally leaving too._

 _As the Med-Jai guards closed the doors, she sighed in relief. It wasn't that she disliked Imhotep. They use to be good friends. It was just that now he always looked at her in ways that she didn't understand. It confused her and made her nervous to be around him now. She felt self-conscious and confused whenever he acted like that. For his eyes always seemed as of late to hold a intensity in them. She felt like she was supposed to know what that intensity was but she couldn't define it. One thing she did know was that she never could forget the way he looked at her._

Evie sat up quickly taking in deep breaths for in her dreaming, it was like his gaze had taken her breath away. Obviously her abrupt awakening had caused her to gain attention because Rick was instantly beside her.

"You alright Evie?" Rick asked.

Evie took a steadying breath. "Yes I'm fine."

There was movement on her other side and Jonathon plopped down beside her. "What was it? Another bad dream?"

Evie wasn't sure how to answer. It hadn't necessarily been a bad dream but it had definitely been an unnerving one. It was trying to further prove to herself that she was Nefertiri and that even then Imhotep had loved her like he had said he did. For that intense gaze he had looked at her with back then, was the same as the one he looked at her with now. The only difference was that he seemed more driven and determined than ever before since so many years had passed and he had not been able to make her his.

Evie shrugged. "Sort of."

Jonathon made an apprehensive face. "Do I even want to know what it was about?"

Evie looked away toward the waterfall. "No. It doesn't matter. It's nothing important."

Jonathon arched his eyebrows and gave her a sly smile. "Is it some sort of fantasy dream that suddenly got scary?"

Evie whirled her head around to face her pesky brother and she swatted at him. "Jonathon stop it. I'm not in the mood. And no it wasn't."

Evie searched through her things trying to locate her canteen. Spotting it, she picked it up and shook it to see how much water she had left in it. From the sound and the weight of it, it indicated that she didn't have much left. She stood and made her way over to the waterfall. Kneeling next to the edge of the pool of water, she dipped her canteen in to refill it.

There were the sound of footsteps in the sand and then a shadow fell across her as the person stopped behind her. Looking back behind her to see who it was, she saw Rick standing there looking down at her.

Rick was studying her with a serious expression. "What happened Evie while you were down there? What are you not telling us? I know when there is something not right going on and I know when you lie because you are not a good liar Evie."

Evie pulled out her now full canteen and took a drink. When she was through she put the cap back on. Standing up, she faced Rick.

"I don't really want to discuss it right now." Evie stated.

Evie started past him back toward their blankets and things but Rick reached out and grabbed her wrist stopping her. Having overheard their exchange, Jonathon stood and came closer to them. Rick released his hold on her wrists, but both he and Jonathon looked at her expectantly.

"Please Evie. Tell us. We want to know. Something seems different about you." Jonathon told her.

Evie looked from Jonathon to Rick, debating on whether she should just go ahead and tell them. After all she knew she needed to tell them at some point, but she dreaded it. Out of her peripheral vision she caught sight of Ardeth approaching.

"I came to tell you that we should leave now but I see that I've interrupted something." Ardeth said looking around at all three of them.

Evie gave a resigned sigh. "I probably shouldn't keep you all in the dark about this. You all do have a right to know. I won't tell you all of it but I will tell you enough for now."

Evie paused, looked at each of them in turn before she spoke again. "The Book of Amun-ra was not where it should have been so I no longer know its exact location. However I couldn't stay in the city any longer and I don't need to be around Hamunaptra for a while. So the best place to go is to Fort Braydon in Cairo. When the time is right I can come back and look for the book again."

Rick's expression grew even more serious. "Why wasn't the book there? It should have been there unless someone else found it and took it."

"Someone did find it and I do not know where they are keeping it." Evie answered.

"Who could have found it?" Jonathon asked looking puzzled.

Evie didn't have to answer. Rick started guessing.

"It couldn't have been the diggers, archeologist or the Priest of Seth. The Priest wouldn't want for it to be found for it can kill him and the diggers or archeologist wouldn't dare try to find it either." Rick's expression hardened and grew angry. He fixed his gaze on Evie. "He found it didn't he? He has it?"

"Who?" Jonathon asked.

"The creature." Ardeth answered who was focused on Evie in the similar fashion like Rick was.

Evie barely nodded. "Yes."

"Why did you have to leave the city? Why do you have to stay away from it?" Rick asked her demandingly.

"Did you come upon the creature?" Ardeth questioned.

Evie tried to control her expression but obviously failed. She knew she couldn't lie. Like Rick had said she was not a good liar.

"What did he do? Did he try to hurt you?" Rick asked angrily.

"He was there when I realized the book was gone. He had been in the temple like we had suspected he might be." Evie shook her head. "Though I had thought that he would want to kill me, he didn't. Surprisingly he didn't even hurt me."

Evie remembered the voices and conversation that she had heard early this morning before falling asleep. She remembered the peculiar thing that Jonathon had said about the Priest of Seth.

"When did the Priest of Seth chase you?" She asked them.

Rick looked a bit confused for he hadn't told her about that and therefore hadn't thought she knew.

"Last night I heard you talking. Before I went back to sleep Jonathon said something about the Priest of Seth chasing you and swooping through you. When did that happen?" Evie clarified.

"When the Med-Jai scout told us that the Priest of Seth was coming, we took off out of there. We knew we couldn't tackle him yet. We had gotten out of the city and were out in the open riding across the sand dunes when he came upon us fast. He used his powers to blow through us and around us as he rode upon a cloud of sand. We thought he was going to try and kill us all but after he had blown through us, he left and hightailed it to the city."

"And you think he was looking for something correct?" Evie asked.

Rick nodded in affirmation. "It seemed that way."

"He must have been searching for whatever it is that he wants. Though I don't know why he would believe that we might have it in our possession." Ardeth remarked.

"It was downright frightening ole' mum. I'm glad you were spared that." Jonathon added. "I wish I could have been spared of it too." He muttered.

If the Priest of Seth had searched for her in their midst then it seems he had thought that she had already left the city and was with them. Only he hadn't found her and the moment he discovered that she was no longer in Hamunaptra and was again lost to him, there was no doubt that he would come after the Med-Jai knowing that would be the first and best place to look for her. She couldn't let that happen. She didn't want anyone to get hurt because of her.

"We should go now. The sooner we get to Cairo the better. If the Priest came and looked through you all once, there is the chance that he might do so again. It won't be a good scenario if he should come upon us while traveling across the open desert. He has been among you once without inflicting death or injuries, but I fear that might not be the case the next time around." Evie said looking between the three of them.

Rick nodded. "Let's pack up and head out."

Ardeth turned away and headed back through the rest of the camp to go get his horse. Evie knelt down and started rolling up her blanket. After that she started getting her things together and ready to put on her horse. Their caravan of camels that she, Rick and Jonathon had when they had been in the ancient city ruins, arrived last night. So the camels would carry their gear while they rode the horses.

Everywhere throughout the camp, things were being packed up on the camels and horses. Having gathered their items, they took them over to where the horses were tied. Evie's white horse stood patiently as she put her blanket roll, canteen and a set of saddlebags on it. After Rick had his horse packed, he went to go make sure all of their previous luggage on their camels were secure. Jonathon's horse wasn't being cooperative for him. So with her horse ready to go, she lead her horse over to where her brother was.

"Here Jonathon, let me hold your horse while you put that on." Evie took the reins from her brother and held both her horse and his.

Jonathon's brown horse tossed his head a bit restlessly but Evie started crooning to it. With gentle hands she stroked its nose and spoke softly to it. The horse stilled listening to her. Her own horse stepped up closer and rubbed its head against her wanting her attention too. So as she took time petting the horses, Jonathon was able to pack up and be ready to go.

"Thank you baby sister. It went a lot faster with you holding him. He even seems to take a liking to you." Jonathon shrugged. "Guess you are just better with horses than I am."

Evie petted her white horse's forehead. "I think horses are beautiful. They are graceful, powerful and majestic. Intelligent too. I enjoy them."

There was the sound of approaching hoof beats as Rick rode up to them. "The Med-Jai are ready to go. We are heading out now."

Evie swung up on her horse with growing expertise. She was getting the hang of this and enjoying it. "So are we."

Jonathon, once aboard his horse, followed them to the group of mounted Med-Jai. They all headed across the valley to the path in the cliffs that they had taken upon entering here. When they reached the path, about half of the Med-Jai led the way while the remaining half took up the rear.

Evie reached where the path narrowed to the width where only one horse could enter at a time. Jonathon went first and then she followed behind him. Behind her, Rick came and then eventually more Med-Jai. Through the path, riding all alone, she tried to keep her mind clear of her complex situation. She wanted to have a moment of peace and just enjoy riding. She didn't want to start thinking over the confusing, difficult and crazy things that had been happening recently. However even though she was alone going down the bends of the narrow trail, she came to the realization that she didn't feel alone. Evie felt like there was a presence with her.

Evie didn't have to wonder whose presence she felt for there was only one presence like that. It was powerful, determined, fierce, frightening, and amazing...it was Imhotep. Wildly Evie looked all around her. She looked down the path ahead of her, down the path behind her and even up toward the tops of the cliffs expecting to see him. But all of her searching revealed nothing. Even though she strongly felt his presence right now, he was not here...or if he was he was not visible to her eyes.

 _"Nefertiri."_

Evie heard his voice lovingly and longingly whisper the name in her mind. She had heard it as clearly as if he were standing next to her, though he was nowhere nearby.

Evie stopped her horse in surprise and shook her head in disbelieving wonder. She realized that she could feel his presence and hear his voice through the mind link that he had established between them. She wasn't sure how it worked but she hoped it wouldn't always be a constant thing.

Evie sat there still listening, waiting to see if the voice would come again. She didn't hear anything except the soft warm desert breeze blowing through the path and the noises of her horse underneath her as it breathed. Evie's horse shook its head and its white mane rippled against its neck. It gave a soft blow of air through its nostrils almost like a sigh. Then she heard the clacking sound of horse hooves coming from behind her.

"Evelyn? What are you doing?" Rick's voice sort of made her jump.

Evie twisted around in the saddle and looked back behind her to see Rick sitting on his horse. "Oh, sorry Rick. I thought I had heard something but it turns out that it was nothing."

Evie started her horse going again and Rick followed. Since he had caught up with her, as they continued down the path, he was never far from her or out of her sight for very long. Evie came to the end of the path and saw the rest of the Med-Jai sitting on top of their horses waiting for the remaining part of their group to emerge from the cliff path.

Evie saw that Ardeth was sitting on his black horse near the cliff base in the shadows. He had his horse backed against the cliff so that he faced forward to look out at the desert. Jonathon had stopped his horse over in the shade too not far from Ardeth. Evie turned her horse toward Jonathon and Ardeth with Rick following alongside her. Evie rode her horse over beside Jonathon and turned it about to face out to the desert. Rick backed his horse up to the cliff base and sat there between Evie and Ardeth looking out at the vast desert before them.

Evie's white horse arched its neck and nipped at a fly on its front leg. Evie reached out and stroked its neck before relaxing back in the saddle. She looked over at Jonathon who seemed to be dozing. He swayed just a bit in the saddle and she wouldn't doubt it if in a bit he was going to fall off. But the idea of closing her eyes for just a second did sound nice. So she closed them and enjoyed the feel of the soft slightly cool breeze. Now that she was around others, she did not feel Imhotep's presence as strong now though she knew that it was still there.

It wasn't until about eight minutes later, when Ardeth's voice captured everyone's attention.

"Everyone is through. Let's go now so we can make good time."

Evie opened her eyes to see all the Med-Jai and Ardeth starting to head out into the desert. Rick looked over to her and then past her to Jonathon.

"Better wake him up." Rick told her.

Evie looked over to Jonathon who was still dozing. She moved her horse closer to Jonathon's and reaching out she shook his arm. "Jonathon wake up. We are going now."

Jonathon swayed more and gave an unhappy groan. But he finally opened his eyes and picked his reins back up. Evie turned her horse and started out after the Med-Jai. Rick was just a little bit behind her and Jonathon was behind him. They merged with the moving group of Med-Jai as they rode their horses across the sand.

 **Evie sure doesn't want to have to tell them the full truth yet, does she? But can you blame her? LOL  
** **And just in case you might have found this chapter to be a little slow, I can assure you that there will definitely be more action coming up in the next chapters!  
** **Until next time, hope everyone has a good weekend!**


	12. Chapter 12: Giving Some Answers

**Hello everyone! I hope each of you have had happy holidays and a happy new year! I want to thank you again for your great reviews, for following and favoriting this story! (Yes I know that favoriting is not an actual word, but oh well...lol :D) I appreciate it! It helps motivate me to try to update as soon as I am able to.  
Now on with the story...Enjoy! :)**

The sun was steadily climbing higher in the sky and was already sending down more scorching rays than before. If it wasn't for the bit of a cool breeze, Evie would have been utterly miserable.

Not much was said for the first hour of their journey. Everyone seemed content to be silent and endure the sun without conversation. Jonathon had dozed off again but thankfully the horse followed along with the others and Jonathon remained in the saddle.

Since Evie wanted to refrain from mulling over her current situation, she kept her mind off of it by thinking of her socialite Aunt who lived in London. It was always amusing to think of her Aunt, for her Aunt Marcie was quite an unusual character. Even now she could recall the most recent picture that she had seen of her Aunt. In the picture her Aunt Marcie had worn a dark pink long skirt, buttoned up blouse, a jacket and a ridiculous big floppy pink hat with a stuffed dove on it. The mental image made her grin and she almost laughed aloud. If she hadn't been around gruff, overly serious Med-Jai she would have laughed. But if she laughed now they all would think that she had crossed the line between sane and insane. This thought made her want to laugh all the more but she stifled it and just grinned instead.

"I am glad to see that you are able to retain good spirits despite recent events." Ardeth commented. Having been absorbed in her thoughts she hadn't noticed that he had slowly dropped back from the very front to ride alongside her.

Evie turned to him and smiled happily. "No sense dwelling on the bad. I was thinking of something that has always amused me. I have an Aunt that lives in London and her fashion sense is not her own. She wears whatever others say is in fashion so she wasn't embarrassed to wear a stuffed dove on a hat...a pink hat." Evie grinned wider and she gave a small laugh.

Ardeth grinned widely and shared her humor though he couldn't actually picture it because it sounded so bizarre to him.

The sunlight glinting off of her golden gemmed bracelet caught Ardeth's attention. "I thought you had wrapped cloth about it."

Evie looked down at the bracelet. Her humor faded and she grew a bit tense. His remark reminded her of her encounter with Imhotep. It was he who had taken the cloth away.

She nodded and looked back to him trying to keep any emotions hidden. "I did have it wrapped but I do not have the cloth anymore."

Ardeth made no further remark about it and so they rode in silence for a while. Evie hated the tension, and the seriousness. If she would go ahead and tell them everything then she wouldn't have to endure the stress of withholding the truth from them anymore. Yet she simultaneously dreaded telling them because she wasn't sure if it would help solve anything. It could actually make things even more complicated. Adding more fuel to the fire, so to speak. Besides she hadn't even gotten used to it herself and knew that it would sound even more incredulous to them.

Ardeth's voice broke the silence. "I know that you are carrying multiple burdens, Evelyn. You think that it is better to keep them to yourself but you do not have to. We are all being affected by everything going on. If you voice your burdens, we can help. However it is your decision whether you want to tell us or not."

Evie sighed. "It is better that I keep it to myself for the time being. It's complicated and even I'm still trying to come to terms with it. It'll just add more trouble to the trouble we already have."

There was the sound of a horse trotting towards them. "Hey do you hear that?" Rick came up on the other side of Ardeth.

Ardeth and Evie strained to listen. They heard the sound of a strong wind in the distance only it didn't sound like any ordinary wind. Evie whipped her head around scanning the horizon behind them. Rick and Ardeth did the same, following her gaze.

Evie could see that a sandy haze hovered over the far horizon in the direction of Hamunaptra. Looking at it, she somehow could sense that it wasn't Imhotep which could only mean one thing. It was the Priest of Seth.

Evie whipped back around to Ardeth and Rick. "We have to hurry and gain as much distance as we can. It's the Priest of Seth. I think he has left the city and is roaming about in search again. We have to go now so he can't happen across us."

"Pick up the pace! Get them into a run!" Ardeth shouted, ordering them to hasten as he urged his horse into a run and surged towards the front of the group to warn everyone else.

"Jonathon you better wake up and get your horse to running unless you want to meet that Priest of Seth again!" Rick called out to Jonathon.

Jonathon immediately was wide awake. He saw all the Med-Jai starting to run their horses so he gave his a nudge and took off with them. Rick and Evie started off too, taking up the rear of the running procession. They rode their horses at a flat out run across the desert. Ardeth was way up front leading the way. The mass of Med-Jai were next with Jonathon among them somewhere. Rick and Evie, since they had started off later, were still at the end.

Evie looked back to see if they were getting away fast enough. But instead of seeing the sandy cloud hovering on the horizon fading into the distance, it looked like it was getting larger and coming closer at a fast rate...a faster rate than they could get away.

The sound of the rushing sand cloud, that the Priest of Seth was riding upon, continuously began to grow louder.

Evie's heart was pounding with adrenaline and fear. She didn't know what to expect next but she definitely didn't expect what did happen next. She became aware of a different noise about the same time as she suddenly and strongly felt his presence. Imhotep. He was nearby somewhere, she was certain of it.

Evie looked around and held on as her horse kept racing onwards. The noise was growing and she recognized the sound of it all too well since she had been in it once. There off to the right she saw it...the sand tornado of Imhotep. It came from off to her right and headed towards them, though it wasn't coming directly towards them as if he were coming after them. No, it actually was heading for the path between them and the oncoming Priest of Seth. Evie wasn't sure what was going on but it seemed like either Imhotep was going to try to lead the Priest of Seth away from them or he was going to confront the Priest.

Evie pulled back on her horses reins. It dug its hind feet in and reared a bit as it came to a stop. Evie turned it about looking to the tornado of Imhotep and the approaching sand cloud of the Priest of Seth to see what would happen. She heard a sharp neigh from somewhere behind her.

"Evie what are you doing? Let's go!" Rick shouted. He had stopped his horse and was waiting for her.

Evie looked away from him and back to the forms of the two Priests. Then she heard his voice like as if he was right there beside her, speaking to her.

 _"_ _Nefertiri, hasten away. I won't let the Priest of Seth bind you to his god_. _I will do everything to keep you from him. I am going to keep him from coming after you. Go now my princess."_ Imhotep's voice sounded strongly in her mind.

Evie turned her horse around and nudged it into a run. Rick started his horse after her and together they raced after the Med-Jai. For in their haste the Med-Jai had not stopped to look back. They didn't know that Rick and Evie had fallen behind.

As they raced across the desert, Evie glanced back and saw that indeed Imhotep was leading the Priest of Seth away. In this way Imhotep was succeeding in getting the Priest away from her without it being obvious that he was helping her or that he knew her. The Priest of Seth was just simply going after his enemy wanting to get rid of him. She saw them disappearing into the far horizon. Evie looked back around and kept her horse going. The Med-Jai had not yet slowed and probably wouldn't for a while. Because even though the Priests were gone, they still needed to gain as much distance from them as they possibly could.

They kept the pace at a run for ten more minutes before the Med-Jai slowed their horses down to a lope. Though Rick and Evie were still a little ways behind, they didn't push their horses to go ahead and fully catch up. They went ahead and slowed their horses down too, to give them a rest. After all, the horses had just run quite a distance.

Evie had conflicting emotions about how Imhotep had once again rescued her. Though she still found it unusual to have any other emotions other than fear towards him, how could she not feel grateful to him? Why should it be such a surprise that her defenses against him were slowly starting to crumble? He wasn't making himself a threat to her and he meant her no harm. Yes he wanted to bind her forever to him. Yes he loved her so intensely that it surprised her and frightened her. And yes he was still a powerful, frightening figure. Yet look at what he was doing for her, what he had promised her.

Evie finally caught a glimpse of her brother amongst the Med-Jai. He seemed to be looking about for them. Jonathon stopped his horse and turned it around. He must have notified the others that she and Rick lagged behind because all of the Med-Jai stopped their horses and waited for them to catch up. Rick and Evie slowed their horses to a trot as they came up closer to the waiting group. Then they stopped them before Jonathon and Ardeth.

"Whoa that was kind of cutting it close." Rick remarked, running a hand through his disheveled hair.

"What made you fall behind?" Ardeth asked. "I am sorry we did not stop sooner. I had believed you were right along with us."

"We were until Evie decided to stop." Rick replied, directing an accusing look her way.

"Why did you stop? That Priest of Seth was coming." Jonathon said, looking shocked that anyone in their right mind would stop when something was coming after them.

"It wasn't just the Priest of Seth. Our old buddy Imhotep was there too in his tornado form." Rick told them.

Ardeth nodded. "Yes, I saw that. I didn't know the creature would have left the city or that he would have been out here."

"The mummy was here too?" Jonathon asked nervous and more frightened to think that there had been two Priests after them. "Why were they coming after us?"

"That's what is weird. It seemed like Imhotep lead the Priest away. I don't understand why he would do that though unless he wants to be the one to kill us himself." Rick answered.

"But why would either of them leave Hamunaptra? What are they after?" Ardeth wondered.

Rick shrugged.

"It is like he thinks we have whatever he is looking for. Why else would the bad Priest of Seth come after us?" Jonathon shook his head. "And the mummy probably must be after us for revenge like Rick said and wants to be the one to kill us."

Evie saw Rick look over at her and felt the weight of his gaze.

"You haven't been asking a lot of questions about these things like you use to. Why?" Rick paused and studied her. "Is it because you already know the answers?"

Evie didn't look to him nor meet any of their gazes. She tried to withhold any expressions but she wasn't very good at it. She didn't even have to give an answer or try to lie. They all sensed the answer from her lack of response.

Rick gave a half sigh, half aggravated noise. "If you know some answers why won't you tell us? It would help us out a lot. We all need to be on the same boat so what is it that you are not telling us Evie?"

Evie slowly looked up to meet Jonathon's eyes. Then she slowly met Ardeth's eyes and then Rick's. She still didn't want to share the strange news of her being a reincarnated princess, or of her being Imhotep's desired woman, or that Imhotep wanted to bind her to him, or that the Priest of Seth was planning to bind her to an Egyptian god of chaos. Yet she knew that Rick was right. They had a right to know and they needed to know but she still didn't want to have to tell them every detail. So she would tell them the majority of it, aside from a few key facts.

"Yes, I know some of the answers to the questions you ask. But to answer them I will have to first tell you what happened while I was in Hamunaptra and how I learned them." Evie looked around at the three of them and saw that their attention was solely on her, waiting to hear what she would tell them.

"When I entered the temple of Osiris, I went over to the black pool that the Book of Amun-ra had fallen into. I searched for the book but could not find it and I noticed that the Osiris warrior mummies were not where they had last been. So I knew then that someone had found it. At first I wondered who but then I knew when he showed up. Imhotep must have found it somehow because he had control over the Osiris mummy warriors. I don't know where he put the Book though." Evie sighed, conveying that she wished she knew where it was. "He kept me locked away in a room yet he did not hurt me nor try to kill me. While I was there, I happened to overhear a conversation between him and the archeologist. The archeologist said that the Priest of Seth is looking for a woman who is a reincarnated princess." Evie told them. She stopped and waited to see how they would take this portion of the news.

None of them said anything at first, as all three of them stared at her with stunned expressions. There was a brief moment of silence as they processed the information before finally all voicing their questions at once.

"The Priest of Seth is looking for a reincarnated princess?" Rick reiterated, trying to make sure he had heard her right.

"Why should a reincarnated princess be so important to him?" Ardeth questioned.

"Why would there be a reincarnated princess?" Jonathon asked.

"The reincarnated princess is an ancient Egyptian princess who has the destiny to be bound forever to either an immortal or a god. Regardless of whichever one she is bound to, the two of them will be powerful, invincible and they will share an unbreakable love. The Priest of Seth is looking for the woman so he can bind her forever to the god Seth." Evie explained.

"And I take it that that is a bad thing?" Jonathon surmised.

Evie nodded. "Yes. If the woman is bound to the god Seth then Seth will be given the ability to come down and walk upon the earth. Seth is the god of chaos so he will only bring destruction upon the earth if he has free rein upon it."

Rick tilted his head quizzically. "And how does this reincarnated princess become bound?"

"A ceremonial knife belonging to the immortal will be used to pierce the immortal's chest and then used to pierce the princess's. Basically it is an act of the immortal sharing his immortality with the reincarnated princess. So whoever binds her, binds her forever." Evie answered.

"So this woman's destiny is to be stabbed?" Jonathon shook his head. "Some destiny. Glad I don't have one like that."

"Can the bond ever be undone?" Ardeth asked.

Evie shook her head and tried to hide her anxiousness. "No. So whoever gets to her first has her for all eternity."

"Does the Priest of Seth know who she is?" Rick questioned.

"I don't know if he knows her name, but at one point he did know where she was. However soon after that, she was no longer where he thought she would be so he is having to search for her again. And he looks among us because he thinks we know where and who she is." Evie replied.

"Why would he think we know who it is? We don't." Rick said and then paused. He stared at her and Evie could tell that he was beginning to piece the information together. "Or do we?"

Evie hesitated knowing she needed to confirm it but wishing that she didn't have to.

Upon Evie's hesitation, Rick shook his head disbelievingly. "That's why you were insistent on leaving Hamunaptra, even though we didn't yet have the book. Isn't it? And the reason you have ancient dreams?"

"What are you talking about? I don't understand. Who is the reincarnated princess?" Jonathon asked, a little slow on coming to the same realization that was dawning in Rick and Ardeth's eyes.

Ardeth was the one who answered, his gaze focused on Evie. "Evie is the reincarnated princess."

Jonathon looked to Evie skeptically. "No. It can't be true. Can it?"

Evie nodded and sighed. "Yes it's true."

"How could you be a reincarnated princess?" Jonathon asked, still in disbelief.

Evie shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. I do know which reincarnated princess I am, though."

"Who?" Rick questioned curiously.

"You are the reincarnation of Nefertiri, are you not?" Ardeth asked her.

She gave an affirming nod.

"How did you know that?" Rick demanded to know, taken aback that Ardeth had known.

"In the room dedicated to Nefertiri that Evie and I went into, there was a picture of Nefertiri on the wall. The image of Nefertiri and Evie were identical. Evie also wears the bracelet that once belonged to the princess Nefertiri." Ardeth answered.

"So my baby sister's destiny is to be ceremonially stabbed?" Jonathon remarked, still incredulous at the shocking news.

"We are not going to let that happen." Rick determinedly stated. He looked to Evie. "You said you don't think the Priest of Seth knows your name, right?"

"I don't think so. He only knew that I had been in Hamunaptra." Evie replied. "So I'm hoping that I can try to lay low in Cairo for a little while until I can return to Hamunaptra to retrieve the Book of Amun-ra."

"Why do we have to wait to go get it? If we can get it now then we can eliminate the Priest of Seth and solve the problem." Rick prodded, a hint of frustration in his voice.

Evie shook her head. "We can't. Remember I told you, I don't know where it is. If we wait, things might settle down a bit and allow us the chance to return to Hamunaptra and search for it."

"The creature has it, correct?" Ardeth asked.

"Yes but I don't know where he is keeping it." She replied, her frustration with this dilemma beginning to reemerge.

"That's another thing. What about Imhotep? What does he have to do with all of this? And what can we expect from him?" Rick asked.

"He knows all of this as well. He knows about how the reincarnated princess can be bound forever to an immortal and that the Priest of Seth wants to bind the princess to the god Seth. He despises the Priest of Seth as much as we do." Since she didn't want to tell the whole truth, she refrained from telling them some of the more pertinent details. Now was not the time when she wanted to delve into the topic of how Imhotep loved her and the plans that he had for her. It would only cause more trouble and she still dreaded what their reaction would be to that shocking bit of news.

"Do you think he will come after us for revenge or will he go wage war against the Priest of Seth?" Rick questioned.

"I'm sure his focus lies on other things besides getting revenge. He has more important things to do since there is a Priest of Seth running about." Again she kept her answer vague, not wanting to divulge the fact that she knew exactly what Imhotep's plans were.

"Since the Priest of Seth searches for Evelyn, we should move out and continue our journey to Cairo." Ardeth announced before looking to Evie. "Me and a few of my men will accompany you and stay with you in Cairo for a short while. I will have a few of my scouts keep track of the Priest of Seth and when the time seems right, we will return to Hamunaptra for the book."

"Thank you, Ardeth." Evie said to him, expressing her gratitude.

Ardeth gave her an acknowledging and respectful nod in return. He turned his horse about and rode over towards the rest of the Med-Jai to relay the plans.

Evie nudged her horse into a walk, pointed in the direction of Cairo. She felt the sun's scorching rays searing down upon her, zapping her already low energy. She was travel weary and the thought of her comfy bed at home seemed to be calling her name.

Reaching back, she grabbed her canteen from off the saddle to get a drink. In doing so, she noticed that Rick and Jonathon still sat there atop their horses looking at her. Though the distance between her and them was slowly and gradually increasing as her horse continued to walk onwards, she was still able to overhear their brief exchange of words.

"Why do you think she waited so long to tell us she was a reincarnated princess?" Jonathon asked.

Rick picked up his reins and started his horse. "I don't know. She is your sister not mine." Rick said back to Jonathon.

"But that doesn't mean I totally understand her even if I've known her longer." Jonathon muttered as he started his horse off too.

Evie took another drink from her canteen before putting it away. Fully facing forwards again, she let her gaze scan the horizon. Her thoughts drifted to Rick, Ardeth and Jonathon and how they had taken the news of her being a reincarnated princess fairly well. But it hadn't been that bit of information though that she had dreaded telling them. What she dreaded the most was what their reaction would be when they found out that Imhotep was in love with her and wanted to bind her to him for eternity. After all he was their enemy and she doubted that they could view him as anything other than the enemy.

 **Sorry this one took longer to update. Hope you enjoyed it! I will try to update again as soon as I can.**


	13. Chapter 13: Moment of Truth

**Hey guys! I'm sorry I haven't updated sooner, been busy. But since this chapter has one of the moments that you have all been waiting for, I hope it makes up for it! Enjoy!**

The afternoon had come and gone without further incident and now the sun was beginning to set. The sky was steadily darkening but the stars had not yet made their appearance. There was a slight coolness in the air from the descending night. The gentle cool breeze felt refreshing as it blew over her skin and through her hair. Coming up over a tall sand dune, they looked off and down upon the city of Cairo and the gate of Fort Brydon.

The sight of her home city was comforting and she looked forward to being able to take a cool bath and sleep in her soft bed. Jonathon obviously was thinking the same thing because he gave a pleased sigh.

"Finally. We are here. Now I can wash off this dust and go to the casaba to get a good long drink before crashing in bed to sleep all day." Jonathon remarked.

Rick shook his head. "No we can't sleep all day. We will still have to keep a look out for either of the two Priests. We don't know where they are or what they are going to do."

Suddenly Ardeth atop his black horse were at their side. His voice came through the deepening darkness. "We Med-Jai will keep watch. Go and get your rest."

Jonathon nodded gladly. "Don't mind if I do."

"I will have the gate watched and position some scouts outside your apartments." Ardeth told them.

Rick nodded in acknowledgement of Ardeth's words. Evie thanked Ardeth before she nudged her horse and started down the dune toward the city gate with Rick and Jonathon following. Evie hastened into the city and through the streets to her apartment building, beyond ready to fall into her bed and sleep some of her stress and weariness away.

When she got to the apartment building, she dismounted slowly since she was a bit unsteady from having been sitting in a saddle all day. Jonathon and Rick dismounted from their horses as well. Turning to her, Rick reached out for her reins.

"I'll take care of the horses Evie. Go on and go get some rest." Rick told her.

Evie nodded to him gratefully and thanked him as she handed him her reins. Entering through the front doors, she went into the courtyard. The landscaped courtyard was beautiful even in the waning daylight. Often she would take time to sit and enjoy the serenity of it but she did not have the time or energy to enjoy it now.

Crossing the courtyard, she went to the stairs and ascended them to the second floor hall. Going down the hall she came to her apartment door. Withdrawing her key she unlocked it and stepped inside. After closing and locking her apartment door behind her, she walked through her dark parlor room to her bedroom double doors. Evie opened them and flicked on her bedroom lights. The familiar sight of her cheerful room was a welcome one. Already she could feel the pent up stress starting to slowly melt away.

Evie went to her dresser and pulled out clean undergarments and a nightgown. Going into her bathroom, she undressed and jumped into the shower. She took her time, enjoying the cold water and the refreshing feel of rinsing the desert dust off. Finally she got out and after drying off, she slipped into a sleeveless emerald green nightdress. Once dressed, she went back out into her bedroom and threw her covers back to crawl into her bed. Evie lay on her side, sinking into the softness of her bed. She let her eyes close as the weariness and sleepiness took hold of her. Her breathing evened out and she fell into a deep and much needed sleep.

There was a whispery noise that made Evie's eyes flutter in her sleep. Something light and tender brushed along her neck, unintentionally tickling her. Instinctively Evie moved her shoulder up to her neck in response to the tickling feeling and then relaxed once more when the tickling sensation was gone.

She started falling back into a deeper sleep but then felt sensations of her hair being lightly stroked. Evie shifted onto her side, still more asleep than awake. Then she felt the sensation of a light touch trailing across her skin beginning on her cheek and trailing down over her jaw, side of her neck, onto and over her shoulder, then down her arm and side to stop at her waist. This time Evie really started to gain more awareness and rolled over onto her back, her eyes still closed. Then she felt something soft and warm press against her lips...a soft kiss.

Suddenly there the sound of knocking on her apartment door that was fairly loud. Loud enough for the person knocking to try to make sure she heard it here in her bedroom. Evie's eyes instantly flew open and she sat up with a startled jump. Her eyes scanned the room trying to find something out of place, something there that shouldn't be. She thought she saw swirling mist near her window. She rubbed her eyes and then opened them again to try to get a clearer look. However there was nothing there now so she wondered if she had just been seeing things.

She recalled feeling the sensations of someone's touch while she had been sleeping. Had it just been her imagination or had someone been stroking her hair? Hadn't they run their hands down her to her waist? And hadn't she felt someone's lips on hers kissing her lovingly?

Evie put her fingers up to her lips wonderingly.

Bang. Bang. Evie jumped again at the loud knocking. She swung out of bed and grabbed up her thin cotton black robe. She put it on and quickly slipped on her flat gladiator sandals before she went to her bedroom doors. Evie opened them and then headed to her apartment suite door.

"Who is it?" Evie called out.

There was a small huff. "It's me Evie. Are you going to let me in or not?" Rick's voice sounded from the other side of her door.

Evie rolled her eyes but unlocked the door and swung it open. Rick stepped in and headed to her parlor table with a tray in his hands. Evie closed the door but didn't bother to lock it since her brother or the Med-Jai would more than likely stop by as well.

Evie turned around and headed to the table where Rick was setting out a bowel of eggs, a plate of toast, a jar of jelly and a bowel of grapes.

"Thought I would bring you breakfast." Rick told her as he finished setting it out and took a seat at the table.

"Thank you." Evie said just a bit surprised that he had done that for her.

Really Rick could be a thoughtful, gentleman when he wanted to be. He had done things for her before but hadn't in a while ever since they had been caught up with these recent unfolding events.

Evie took a seat at the table with the breakfast tray before her. She looked down at her breakfast hungrily but her mind was still on what had occurred before she woke up.

"You alright Evie? It seems like something is bothering you." Rick asked, watching her closely.

Evie shook her head, dismissing the thoughts, and smiled focusing on her breakfast. She reached out for a slice of toast and started spreading jelly on it. "No I'm fine."

"No you are not. Remember that I can tell when you lie." Rick told her.

Evie rolled her eyes at him. "I am ok Rick. I was just startled awake and my nerves haven't calmed yet." Evie took a bite of her toast.

Rick looked apologetic. "Oh, I startled you awake huh? Sorry."

They were silent for a bit as Evie ate her breakfast. She finished up her toast, and was now eating her eggs. Rick shifted in his chair and pulled out one of his guns checking it routinely, probably out of boredom or restlessness.

"Did you get some rest?" Rick asked her as he spun the revolving bullet chamber on the gun.

Evie swallowed her bite of egg before she answered. "Yes. I did. I didn't even dream this time."

Rick looked up to her and then back down at his pistol. "I'm assuming that since you are a reincarnation, you probably won't ever get rid of the dreams?"

Evie shook her head. "Probably not. I think they are memories from my previous life as the princess."

Evie finished off her eggs and was eating a few grapes when there was a knock on her door. Putting his gun away, Rick stood up and went to see who was at the door. He opened it and Jonathon and Ardeth walked in.

Right away, Evie could tell that Jonathon had a hangover which came as no surprise. He sort of stumbled into the room and came over to plop down into a chair near Evie. Ardeth however looked well rested and alert. He entered and stood off to the side. When their eyes met he nodded his head to her in a friendly greeting.

"Good morning my friends." Ardeth greeted them.

Jonathon waved his hand at Ardeth. "Why do you have to be so chipper in the morning? It only makes me look worse."

Ardeth smiled in amusement before directing his attention to Evie. "I had noticed that you were very tired last night. I am glad to see that you are now well rested."

Evie smiled. "Thank you Ardeth."

"Has there been any sign of the priests?" Rick asked him.

Ardeth shook his head. "No we have not seen anything. Everything is still and quiet out on the desert."

Evie was fixing to put another grape into her mouth when suddenly she froze as Imhotep's voice sounded in her mind.

 _"_ _Nefertiri. The Priest of Seth knows your name. He knows where you live. You and he have met before. He is coming now for you here in Cairo. He is already on his way and will be there soon. You must leave and go back out in the desert. Now is the time I shall take you to the book. I am watching over you Nefertiri. I always have. I am not far away. But you must hurry and leave my princess."_ Imhotep's voice was urgent but as always held a caring tone towards her.

Still frozen in place at the shock of the news, the grape that she had been going to eat rolled from her hands and onto the table. Everyone immediately looked to her, aware that something was wrong. They all wore concerned expressions.

"Evie?" Jonathon asked wary and alert.

Evie took a big swallow and finally was able to pull herself out of her frozen unresponsive state. She jumped up out of her chair causing it to fall back. Her eyes went wildly around to them. She knew that they could see the nervousness and fear in her eyes.

"Evie? What is it?" Rick asked standing up as well.

"We have to go now! We need to leave Cairo and head back out into the desert!" Evie half shouted. She moved away from the table and toward the door. She knew that there was no time to go and gather her things.

But there was a strong hand that came out and grabbed her wrist stopping her and turning her about. Rick stood there before her looking down at her with a mixture of concern and confusion.

"What is it? Why do we have to leave so suddenly?" Rick questioned.

Evie jerked her wrist from his grip. "Because the Priest of Seth is heading here right now! He is coming after us! We have to go!"

Jonathon jumped up from his chair. "He is coming after us right now?"

Evie nodded. "Yes and he will get us if we don't leave immediately."

"How do you know that? Ardeth just said that there is no sign of the Priest." Rick asked.

Evie was trying to think of how to respond without having to tell them about Imhotep when she felt it...an overwhelming sense of Imhotep's presence. She knew without a doubt that he was going to appear to her. Evie's heart began to race and she became anxious, aware of what was fixing to happen.

"Dang it." Evie said, realizing that the moment of truth was arriving. She wouldn't be able to postpone telling them the truth once Imhotep appeared.

All three of them, Rick, Jonathon and Ardeth immediately wore surprised and quizzical expressions.

"What?" Rick asked looking more confused than ever.

Evie felt his presence grow the same moment the parlor window blew open and sent a strong gust into the room that whipped the curtains about. Evie took a deep breath trying to calm down enough so she could rationally think of how to handle what was fixing to happen.

In the next moment Imhotep materialized right beside her. Without having to turn her head to the left to see him, she knew that he was facing her. She could feel his intense gaze on her and it made her heart beat quicken.

Evie saw the shock register on Rick, Jonathon and Ardeth's faces as they saw Imhotep instantly appear beside her. Then at the same time, all of their expressions simultaneously changed. Jonathon's turned into fear while Rick and Ardeth's turned to anger. They became tense and battle ready, ready to try to protect her, still unaware that Imhotep loved her.

Tearing her gaze away from Rick, Jonathon and Ardeth, Evie turned her attention to Imhotep. She met that compelling gaze and looked upon his handsome face. She felt the power flowing off of him and she saw the ever present, undeniable, unbreakable, intense and deep love and desire that he held for her. Her breath shortened at bit at the sight of him once again.

Evie heard the metallic ring of Ardeth's scimitar leave its sheath and the cock of the hammer on Rick's pistols.

"Get away from her!" Rick demanded pointing his pistols at Imhotep.

Imhotep did not pay any attention to them. His right hand came up and moved to the side of her face, brushing it tenderly. "Nefertiri."

Evie's eyes fluttered at his soft loving touch. She felt the warmth of his large strong hand against her smooth cheek and swallowed a bit nervously. Butterflies awoke in her stomach and took flight confirming her suspicions that she was starting to have feelings for him. She wouldn't go so far as to call it love, but it was undeniable that he affected her.

Imhotep's hand moved down and further back to her head. He put his hand through her hair and held her head as he leaned in to her. Their eyes stayed locked until he was too close to maintain gazes any more. She saw his eyes close and his head tilt. Then his lips were on hers.

Suddenly there was the loud sound of gunshots being fired. Evie knew Rick was shooting Imhotep but Imhotep was still immortal so they entered him and exited him without him even flinching. Though shots had been fired into him, Imhotep acted like nothing had happened. His lips started moving against hers slow, sensual and lovingly tender. Evie's eyes closed of their own accord now and she was caught up in his kiss.

Then she heard charging footsteps. Imhotep broke the kiss as if he had all the time in the world. His lips left hers and she opened her eyes to see him looking back toward the trio at the door. Evie felt his strong right arm encircle her waist at the same time that his left arm came up with his palm facing toward a charging Ardeth with his scimitar drawn. Suddenly Ardeth was blown backwards and into the air. He went sailing back and collided with Rick and Jonathon knocking them over like bowling pins. Cussing came from the heap in the voice of a mad Rick.

Imhotep turned toward her again, his eyes focused on her, and Evie became conscious of his arm around her waist.

"Nefertiri, you were too beautiful sleeping there that I could not resist. You are always beautiful my Egyptian flower. You are the rarest beauty there is." He told her holding her captivated in his gaze.

Evie thought back to those sensations that awoke her this morning. "That was you?" She asked.

Imhotep nodded.

Rick, Ardeth and Jonathon had by now gotten back on their feet and looked at them with various mixtures of curiosity, battle readiness and anger.

"What is going on? Why is he here Evie? And what is he saying?" Rick asked taking a menacing step towards them. No one but her and Jonathon could speak Egyptian so they were the only ones who could understand Imhotep's words.

Imhotep looked to Rick and fixed a deathly stare on him. He started to raise his hand to use his powers against him but Evie reached out and put her hand on his arm to stop him.

"No please don't." Evie begged him in ancient Egyptian.

Imhotep looked back to her and immediately lowered his hand.

"I will do what you ask of me Nefertiri." He nodded to her, respectfully. "We need to go. The Priest of Seth has raised five demonic creatures to help him capture you. If you try to leave without my help then you won't have a chance of escape. You need to come out into the desert with me so that I may take you with me and protect you as we travel to Hamunaptra."

"What the hell is he talking about?" Rick demanded to know. "We better know what is going on or I will kill him."

Imhotep didn't understand English but he could tell when a threat was made. He just smiled at Rick's threat. Evie felt more anxious. Now there were five demonic creatures after her as well as the Priest of Seth? Things were definitely not looking any better.

Evie looked to Rick, Ardeth and Jonathon. "Rick, remember you can't kill him. He is still an immortal."

"It doesn't matter. If he tries to hurt you I will make him wish that I could." Rick threatened.

Evie took a deep breath. "He is not going to hurt me Rick. It is exactly the opposite." She shook her head. "I don't really know where to start or how to say this easily but as crazy as it seems...he is in love with me."

Rick's face broke into a skeptical, sarcastic look. "Yeah right he loves you. Remember what he tried to do to you last time? He was going to kill you Evie."

"I thought that too but we didn't know his motives or plans like we thought. Yes he was going to kill me to bring Anck-su-namun back because of a promise he made to her a long time ago, but he wasn't going to let me stay dead. He was going to resurrect me. However we ruined his plans. Now he is more determined than ever to make sure he has me. He told me that ever since he has known me, even in my life as the Princess Nefertiri, he has always loved me. And he has vowed that he will do whatever it takes to protect me. I learned all of this when he kept me in the room in Hamunaptra. I didn't want to believe it but he has told me so much and I have no doubts now about the truth of it all." Evie explained.

"Back in Hamunaptra before he let me go, he had established a mind link between us so that he would always know where I was. He can even speak to me in my mind. I can usually tell when he is near, even if he isn't visible. Now he tells me that there are five demonic creatures coming with the Priest of Seth to get me. So he is going to take me back to Hamunaptra and give me the Book of Amun-ra so that I can take away the Priest of Seth's immortality so that he can be killed." Evie told them.

"Demonic creatures? This just keeps getting better and better." Rick remarked sarcastically. "Is there anything else we should know that you haven't been telling us?"

She could see that it was just as much of a shock for them to learn of these things as it had been for her. Already she was beginning to feel a little relieved at not having to hide the truth from them anymore. And it was yet to be determined as to how they were going to react when they learned the full truth. After all, at just seeing him they were automatically trying to kill him. But seeing as how none of this could be avoided any longer, she decided to go ahead and tell them everything.

"Actually there is. I was afraid to tell you before but there isn't much reason to keep the truth from you now." Evie paused and the room fell silent like the calm before a storm. But she pressed on, willing to get this over with. "He does not want me to be bound to Seth, the god of chaos. Because of his love for me, he has vowed that he is going to bind me to him so that he and I will share an eternal love."

There was deathly silence as this bit of news sank in. Evie watched them carefully and anxiously for their reaction. Ominous expressions appeared on Rick and Ardeth's faces. Jonathon's was one of complete astonishment.

Rick cocked the hammer of his pistols back and Ardeth's grip on his scimitar tightened.

"Like hell he is. We are not going to let that happen." Rick threatened with a lethal stare.

"He cannot be allowed to do this." Ardeth stated sternly.

Though he did not understand what was being said, Imhotep sensed the tension for he himself grew tense and watched the three of them closely.

"Evie, you can't be serious." Jonathon shook his head. "You would let him stab you?"

"I didn't say I was in agreement with his plan. I'm not sure how I'm going to deal with it but I do know without a doubt that I do not want to be bound to the god Seth. And right now that's the biggest issue that needs to be dealt with." Evie replied.

"Oh I know how to deal with it." Rick remarked. "We'll kill both of the Priests."

Ardeth nodded in agreement. "The sooner the better it seems."

"The Priest of Seth is almost here. We need to go now. We either need to try to hurry and get out of the city or prepare to battle the Priest of Seth." Imhotep told her.

Evie nodded in acknowledgement of his words.

"What did he say?" Rick demanded to know.

"He says we need to go now. We either need to try to hurry and get out of the city or prepare to battle the Priest of Seth." Evie replied.

Evie looked around at each of them. "I know the idea of fighting alongside him instead of against him is objectionable to you but his powers make him a worthy opponent for the Priest of Seth. Whether you like it or not, we need his help." She paused, understanding the depth of what she was about to ask them. "Will you come with me and try to be civil towards him while we all work on killing the Priest of Seth?"

Silence fell once more as the three of them contemplated the matter. They didn't bother to hide their dislike for the idea but their threatening stances did ease up a bit.

"In order to accomplish killing either of the Priests, we need the book." Ardeth said to Rick. "And he is willing to give it to Evie."

Rick gently lowered the hammer on his pistols, safely uncocking them and looked to Evie. "As much as I hate it, it seems we have no other option at the moment."

"So we are actually going to work with the mummy?" Jonathon exclaimed apprehensively.

Rick put his pistols away and turned to Ardeth and Jonathon. "For now but once we have the book and have killed the Priest of Seth, we will go back to getting rid of him as well."

Ardeth nodded. "I'm vowed to make sure he stays in his grave." He directed his gaze to Evie. "But since the most imminent danger to you is the Priest of Seth, I'll do as you ask."

"I'm with you Evie." Jonathon eyed Imhotep warily. "Just don't let him send mummy's or scarabs after us, ok?"

Evie had misgivings about their plan. Imhotep was going to trust her with the book and considering all he had done and was doing for her, not to mention that she was beginning to develop feelings for him, she couldn't bear the thought of betraying him. She wouldn't betray him. Evie wasn't sure how she was going to handle it all just yet, but she didn't have time to come up with a plan right now. She would have to figure it out when the time arose.

Evie turned to Imhotep and spoke to him in ancient Egyptian. "I want them to go with us."

Imhotep did not look pleased. He was just as unhappy with the idea of having to deal with them as they were of having to put up with him. "Why Nefertiri? Do you doubt my love, my promises or my ability to protect you?"

Evie shook her head. "No I don't doubt you but they have always been there for me and are like family. I want them with me."

Evie paused sort of afraid of his reaction. "Please?" She added hoping to keep him from becoming angry.

Imhotep's expression softened. His finger came up to tenderly brush over her lips. "You do not have to beg me Nefertiri or be afraid of me. I will not hurt you nor will I be angry with you. No matter what you shall do or say Nefertiri...I will always love you and desire you for all eternity."

Evie didn't know what to say so she just nodded to show that she understood.

Imhotep started to lead her to the door. "We need to leave now. Tell them to be ready to fight. We no longer have time to try to make it out to the desert. We tarried here too long. We will have to find a good place to battle the Priest of Seth."

"He says that we don't have time to try to leave the city. We are going to have to fight them off. He is going to find us a place to make a stand." Evie translated for them.

"I will go and gather the Med-Jai." Ardeth began to head for the door as well.

"You won't have time Ardeth." Evie told him.

Ardeth stopped and gave a grim nod in understanding.

Jonathon, Rick and Ardeth moved out of the way for Imhotep and Evie to go through the door. Jonathon did so out of fear while Rick and Ardeth did it begrudgingly.

"I hope I don't regret this." Evie heard Rick mutter as Imhotep led her out of her apartment door and into the apartment building's second floor hall.

 **Yay she finally told them! What do you all think of their reaction? Was it what you had expected? I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! I want to shout out another "THANK YOU" to all of you who have favorited and/or followed this story! And I love the reviews! They're great!**


	14. Chapter 14: On the Streets of Cairo

**Hey! Here's another update for you guys. Enjoy :)**

Imhotep led them out of the apartment complex and down the street, all the while holding Evie's hand. Though the idea of a budding romantic relationship between her and Imhotep was still taking some getting used to, Evie couldn't deny the sweetness of the affectionate gesture. She drew comfort from the sense of security it gave her.

Imhotep did not discuss with her where he was taking them...he just led them. She didn't question him as she walked alongside him and surprisingly neither did Rick, Ardeth and Jonathon. The three of them though, did follow behind with disgruntled expressions.

Suddenly the sky started growing darker. Evie looked up and saw a dark sand cloud blocking the sun as it began to enter the city. Everyone else noticed this as well. Citizens of Cairo hurriedly got off the streets and dashed away to their homes knowing that something they wanted to avoid was coming. Though they didn't know what had just entered the city, Evie did. The Priest of Seth was here.

An bone chilling, unearthly shriek pierced the air and was soon followed by four more. It sounded like there was one in each direction and they were all headed their way.

"What is that?" Evie asked, fearfully.

"The demonic creatures. They approach and try to surround us." Imhotep replied.

He suddenly took her by the hand and led her down an alley. The alley had two other alleys that branched off to the left and the right before it dead ended. Imhotep led her all the way down the alley and stopped at the dead end wall. He let go of her hand and gave her a deep quick kiss before withdrawing.

"Stay here and do not go anywhere my love." Imhotep ordered her.

He headed back down the alley they had come down and stopped at the entrance of it, facing away from her. Ardeth and Rick watched the other two alleys that branched off of this one. Jonathon took up a watchful position a few yards ahead of Evie. He pulled out two small derringer pistols and stood there nervously waiting.

"Don't worry baby sister. I will do what I can to help you." Jonathon whispered to her.

The sky suddenly darkened even more. She heard the swirl of the billowing sand as the Priest of Seth drew nearer. Nervously, Evie drew her robe tighter around her. Her gold and gemmed bracelet grew warm, like as if it was trying to comfort her.

Those unearthly shrieks filled the air once again and sounded so close now it made Evie jump in alarm. Then she heard Rick give a surprised curse before he started shooting into the alley he was monitoring. Jonathon jumped, startled. Evie's heart raced and her eyes searched about wildly. There was a shriek and loud movement, before Ardeth started shooting into the alley he was watching.

Tension filled the air and her gaze went straight ahead to Imhotep. She caught sight of a dark figure walking towards him and Evie knew without a doubt that it was the Priest of Seth approaching. She couldn't see the Priest's features though due to the dim light. Imhotep had told her that she and the Priest had met before, that they knew each other. So she couldn't help but wonder now just who it was that had become her enemy.

The figure of the Priest of Seth stopped several yards before Imhotep, facing him. Evie expected for the Priest of Seth to attack, but he didn't. Instead, Evie saw another dark figure approach Imhotep. It came before the Priest of Seth and then steadily began to head toward Imhotep.

Evie stared at it in mixture of shock and fear. It was one of the demonic creatures. It towered taller than a man by several feet, had large bat-like wings, and was a mixture of blood red and abyss black. Even from here she could see an evil internal fire glinting in those ferocious eyes. Is this what Rick and Ardeth were already fighting?

Evie looked over to Rick who was still shooting into the alley but now taking a few steps back. It made her realize that she was defenseless. Why hadn't they given her a gun? She could help fight them if she had one.

More shrieks pierced the air and suddenly Rick was knocked backwards onto his back. The large demonic creature that he had been shooting at swung around the corner. The demonic thing passed up Rick and headed toward Jonathon.

Jonathon started mumbling nervously as he raised his arm and fired at it. The bullet entered the creature's chest and a black liquid started seeping forth from it but it did not kill the demonic thing. Rick swerved his guns to the creature and was just fixing to squeeze off a shot when suddenly a second demonic creature jumped from the dark alley. Rick sprang to his feet and jumped back in time to miss a swipe from its sharp claws. Ardeth, guarding his own alley, now started backing up but didn't slow down his constant firing of the shotgun that Rick had handed him earlier.

Movement caught Evie's attention and she looked ahead to see a demonic creature engaging a fight with Imhotep. The demonic thing would dart in trying to swipe its claws at Imhotep but then dart away just as quickly as it had come, knowing that its foe had more power than it.

In that moment, Evie felt a strange eerie feeling wash over her. She felt like she was being watched...like something was creeping up on her. There was the faint sound of dust falling and small rocks falling down off of the dead end wall behind her. Evie half way turned and looked up to see one of the demonic creatures clinging to the side of the building and silently climbing its way down toward her.

Evie yelled in alarm and jumped back from the wall to get away from the evil looking creature that was watching her with evil and predator-like eyes. The creature jumped off the side of the building and landed just a ways before her. Its wings were folded against its back. It had four horns on top of its head, sharp claws on its hands and feet and like the others it was a mixture of red and black all over. Evie felt like she was facing a hellish underworld citizen...which she was. This creature belonged to an evil god of chaos who sought her out to strengthen itself.

Evie darted her eyes around to the others. Rick was still shooting and dodging one of the creatures. Ardeth was now backed into the center still shooting another. Jonathon was backing away from the one coming at him. He tried again to shoot it but it wasn't stopping it. Further ahead of her, Evie saw Imhotep standing with arms outstretched using his powers to fight the demonic creature before him. Imhotep used his powers to hold it immobile before he pulled it apart, making the demonic number of creatures one less.

Having heard Evie's yell of alarm, Imhotep then turned and looked back to her. "Nefertiri."

He started to move one of his hands back to the creature threatening her but then the Priest of Seth intervened. The two now engaged in a standoff where neither had time to do anything else then fight the other.

Evie looked back now to the demonic creature before her. It seemed to sneer at her with a victorious sense. Jonathon turned away from the demonic creature trying to get him and ran towards Evie with his pistols pointing at the creature near her.

"I've coming Evie!" Jonathon yelled to her.

Evie saw the creature behind Jonathon crouch, ready to spring.

"Jonathon!" Evie cried trying to warm him.

The demonic creature launched itself and came down on top of Jonathon forcefully, slamming Jonathon to the ground. Jonathon moaned and didn't move, having been knocked unconscious. The demonic thing left Jonathon lying there and headed towards her, an internal evil flame flickering in its eyes. Evie then started to hear rough, sinister sounding voices in her mind. They were chanting over and over as they stared at her.

" _You are going to soon become our second master and be the evil supreme one's. But for now, you are our prey_." The demonic creatures chanted over and over in her mind.

Evie shook her head trying to dislodge their voices from her mind. The two demonic creatures were stepping toward her, giving no opportunity for escape. Adrenaline and determination surged through her. She wasn't going to let them take her away.

Evie took out her knife from her belt and held it before her defensively.

"Go back to your evil master." Evie yelled angrily.

The demonic creatures just sneered and a new chant entered her head. " _We will do so with you amongst us_."

Then suddenly, with inhuman speed, the one that had come down off the building whipped its arm out and knocked her knife from her hand. Before she had time to recover, the one that had knocked Jonathon down sprang at her filling out its wings. The demonic creature's arms caught her up in a quick motion. It sprang into the air and lifted off in flight.

As it rose into the sky, taking her with it, it gave her a view of the alley below. Rick was dodging swipes of the creature's claws and Ardeth was dodging as well while he shot. Imhotep was pushing back power attacks from the Priest of Seth. And Jonathon still lay on the ground, unmoving.

"No! Leave me alone!" Evie yelled with all her might as she twisted about in the evil thing's arms, trying to free herself.

Down below, Rick looked up to see Evie in the demonic thing's clutches. He didn't dodge the next swipe that ripped through his shirt and into his arm. Rick cussed and jumped back, blood already starting to seep from the wound. Ardeth jumped back to dodge a strike from the creature he was fighting. After its attempted attack, it launched itself into the air taking flight to meet up with the other two who had Evie. The one that had been fighting Rick ran and took flight too.

"Evie!" Rick yelled looking up into the sky at her.

Evie caught sight of the worried faces of Rick and Ardeth looking up into the sky. She saw Jonathon still lying there on the ground. And then she saw Imhotep. He looked up and their gazes met before suddenly he was blown back against the alley wall by a powerful blast of the Priest of Seth's power. The Priest of Seth then rose up into the air on his cloud of sand. The sand filled the air and hid her view of the ground below.

Evie struggled against the demonic creature's clutches. Then there came a quick fleeting sensation of pain in her arm. The creature had superficially sliced a cut on her arm with one of its claws. Evie noticed that the claw the creature had sliced her with was noticeably different than the others. She wondered what the significance of the different claw was but when her world started blackening, she understood. There was venom on that claw and it had entered into her bloodstream through the cut. As a result, it was now making her steadily lose consciousness. Evie tried to fight to stay awake but to no avail. In no time at all, her eyes closed and she fell into that black world of unconscious sleep.

Rick and Ardeth had to duck low to the ground and cover their eyes from the swirling dust and sand. The thoughts running through their minds were of concern for Evie and that they had failed to protect her. Yet they all were determined to go after her and get her back. This fight wasn't over yet.

It didn't take long for the sand to clear. Instead of it slowly leaving, it suddenly whooshed away as the Priest of Seth left. The two of them stood back up, looking to each other. Ardeth noticed the bleeding slash in Rick's arm.

"Are you alright O'Connell?" Ardeth asked.

Rick looked down to the offending wound. There were four slashes in his biceps but they weren't deep enough to have cut into the muscle.

"Yeah, it is nothing serious." Rick started looking around. "Jonathon?"

Rick spotted Jonathon on the ground and together he and Ardeth went over to the motionless man. They kneeled down and rolled him over onto his back. A dark bruise was already forming on Jonathon's jaw from impact of having hitting the ground. Rick bumped Jonathon's cheek strongly to wake Jonathon up.

"Jonathon. Hey Jonathon. Wake up." Rick told him.

Jonathon's eyes fluttered and he moaned. Rick continued to bump his cheek but then resorted to shaking him. Jonathon moaned some more but his eyes opened.

"Hey you all right?" Rick asked as he and Ardeth helped Jonathon sit up.

Jonathon put a hand to his bruised jaw. He gave another moan. "I feel like I have been run over by a herd of camels." He started to look around.

"Where is Evie?" Jonathon worriedly asked.

Rick's expression conveyed his aggravation and anger. He was angry with himself because he hadn't kept her from danger. Now a psycho Priest that served an evil god had her. "They got her. Those red and black demon things got her."

Imhotep stood at the entrance to the alley. Anger filled him. Concern filled him. Determination filled him. Loss filled him. They had his love, his princess. If he didn't get to her soon then she was going to become the god Seth's forever.

Imhotep balled his fists. He would not let that happen. He was going to make Nefertiri his and only his. She was going to belong to him and only him for all eternity. He would do whatever it took to see that it was done. He had waited so long for her and already lost her several times now. His goal was not yet complete but it would be in time.

Imhotep was angry that he had been able to be shoved aside and kept busy by the Priest of Seth so that the demons of Seth could get Nefertiri. The next time he and the Priest of Seth would meet, Imhotep vowed that he would crush him and send the Priest of Seth into the evil underworld.

Imhotep heard the strange men familiar to Nefertiri back behind him, talking in that strange language. He didn't understand the words that they spoke but he knew that one of them would be able to understand him. That man...Nefertiri's brother could speak Egyptian. Imhotep knew he could because it was he who had read the cover of the Book of Amun-ra and ordered the Osiris warrior mummies to kill Anck-su-namun.

Imhotep detested them. They all were familiar with his love and he wanted her only to himself. Yet Imhotep could use them now. They would prove distractions for the Priest of Seth and could fight the demons of Seth.

Imhotep turned around and strode to the three men. He fixed them with a firm stare and spoke to them in his language…ancient Egyptian.

"What did he say?" Rick asked Jonathon, while returning Imhotep's stare. "You did understand what he said right?"

Jonathon eyed the powerful, immortal Priest of Osiris. The man that loved and desired his baby sister and the man that Jonathon feared. He nodded. "Yeah I understood him. He said that we have to get to Hamunaptra now. We have to get there immediately before the Priest of Seth can perform the ritual to bind Evie to the god Seth."

Ardeth and Rick helped Jonathon up onto his feet. They all stared back at the priest who had once been their foe and even still was except they were in sort of a truce for the moment. Only for the sake of Evie.

"And how does he propose we get there that fast?" Rick looked to Jonathon and Ardeth. "Though I'd much rather kill him rather than fight alongside him, if he can get us there quick and help us get Evie back then we'll go along with it for now. After we get Evie back and kill the Priest of Seth, we'll go back to killing him."

Ardeth nodded. "Agreed."

"No argument there." Jonathon nodded as well. "I'll ask him."

"Hey Jonathon?" Rick said.

"Yeah?" Jonathon asked.

"Make sure you say it right and don't piss him off. We don't want him to try to kill us before we are ready." Rick stated.

Jonathon nodded and gulped. "Yeah I am a bit rusty on ancient Egyptian. I'll try my best."

Jonathon turned to Imhotep. "How are we going to get to Hamunaptra that fast?" Jonathon asked him in ancient Egyptian.

Imhotep gave a sly grin as he answered Jonathon's question.

Jonathon gulped. "Oh boy I don't think I am going to like this."

"What?" Ardeth and Rick asked at the same time.

"Guess what type of transportation he wants to use." Jonathon remarked.

All three of them looked to each other sharing displeased glances.

Within two minutes a large sand tornado, the biggest anyone had ever seen, was seen going across the desert away from Cairo. Its destination...Hamunaptra. Unknown to everyone, three very unhappy grown men were inside the spiraling vortex of the tornado of the powerful and immortal Imhotep. Yet there was one thing that all four of them shared and that was determination to get Evie back.

 **This update was a little short but hopefully the action in it made up for it. Till next time...have a good week! :)**


	15. Chapter 15: Nefertiri's Temple

**Yay I finally was able to get time to update! Enjoy :)**

Evie's eyes fluttered as she slowly began to regain consciousness. She became aware of a constant wind blowing against her and heard the sound of shifting sand. Opening her eyes, she sat up. Her eyes widened when she realized where she was. She was on top of the huge sand cloud that the Priest of Seth rode upon. The sands swirled and churned under her as it flew above the expanse of the desert below.

Something up in the air, off to her right caught her attention. Looking up she saw the remaining four demonic creatures flying alongside the billowing sand cloud. They paid her no heed as they flew. And it was then that Evie sensed someone's gaze was upon her.

Evie turned to her left and saw the Priest of Seth sitting near her on the sand cloud. Shock coursed through Evie as she looked upon the immortal that had been hunting her and recognized his familiar face. There was no mistaking the face of a fellow Museum scholar and archeologist. He had dark black hair and the stubble of a beard and moustache. His eyes were not the usual familiar caramel brown that she had once known. Instead they now were grey with flecks of red within them. She could see in them some of the same evil burning within them that the demonic creatures also had in their eyes.

"Johan?" She shook her head. "No it can't be you."

Evie couldn't believe that a fellow scholar and archeologist, a familiar co-worker that had always been an admirer of her, could somehow suddenly be her evil enemy. She could still remember all the times they had worked together and the moments that he had complimented her and even flirted with her, despite her showing no interest in him except as a professional co-worker.

"Evelyn Carnahan." Johan, the Priest of Seth, smiled. "I hadn't expected that you would be the one I was supposed to be looking for. When I learned from the god Seth that it was you that is the reincarnated Princess Nefertiri, I was surprised at first though I shouldn't have been. I had always known that you were remarkably beautiful. Now that I know that it is you I can see it all clearly. For everything that is said and written of the great beloved, most notoriously beautiful Princess Nefertiri, is the same for you."

Evie shook her head again, still finding it hard to believe. "No. It can't be. How did you...? When...?" Evie could even get the questions out as she sat there in bewilderment.

Johan knew though what she was wondering. "How did I become a Priest of Seth? In some of my recent studies I learned that the Egyptian gods can chose mortals to become their Priests. Time is not a factor and though the act of a god creating an immortal Priest is rare, it happens on rare occasion. Not long after I became aware of this, about a month ago, the god Seth chose me to become his Priest. Seth wanted me to grow in power and knowledge before I started my quest to acquire the Princess Nefertiri for him. So that is why I didn't go to Hamunaptra and start searching till a few days ago."

Evie looked away from him and down at the sand cloud under them that they rode upon. Her thoughts whirled as she processed this new information and she began to wonder, what was she going to do now? She was on a cloud high above the ground, allowing her no chance of a safe escape.

Evie looked back up and out at the horizon trying to determine where they were and how close they were to Hamunaptra. But she didn't have to guess how far away they were or how long it would take them to get there because Hamunaptra was straight ahead. They were already starting to descend towards it.

'No.' Evie protested in her mind. They couldn't already be there. Why was it that she always was being drug back to this city and in terrible danger every time?

The sand cloud they rode upon went over the city wall and newly reinforced gates. The cloud hovered above the ground for a moment before slowly descending towards it. Johan, the Priest of Seth, reached out and grabbed her wrist. He pulled her up onto her feet and they stood on top of the cloud as it lowered and the sand lay back out on the ground. Once they were on solid ground, the Priest of Seth started to lead her toward the door that would take them down into the depths of Hamunaptra.

Evie knew that if she was going to try to escape, now was the best chance. So Evie tried to jerk her wrist from his grasp and she dug her heels into the ground as leverage to use against him. To Evie's disappointment and aggravation, it didn't work. Since the Priest of Seth had powers, he had a superhuman strength and grip on her equivalent to that of Imhotep's. The Priest roughly pulled her against him and leveled his gaze on her.

He made a tisk-tisk noise and shook his head. "Now, now Princess. You don't want to make this difficult do you?" With that immortal quickness he swung her up into his arms and entered through the door into the main tunnel.

Evie stilled as she looked over this familiar tunnel. It had been a long time since she had entered the depths of Hamunaptra via this way. It sort of stunned her to see it again and it brought back all those memories of everything that had happened those three years ago. After a moment she snapped out of the trip down memory lane and returned her focus back to trying to escape.

Evie kicked her legs while twisting about in his arms. This did no good though for he just tightened his already firm hold on her, to the point that it was becoming painful. The Priest continued deeper into the city and was taking the route to the treasure room. Soon they passed through the treasure room doorway and stepped into the huge chamber full of all sorts of numerous treasures. Even though Evie had seen this before, she still was in awe at the vast amount and quality of it all. After all, it wasn't every day that one got to see such a rare and grand sight such as this.

The Priest turned off the main path through the treasure room and headed on a new path. With her gaze, she traced the path to the far wall of the chamber to see a doorway that she had never seen before. The Priest headed to this and when they got near the doorway, Evie saw small hieroglyphs at the bottom of the wall and to the left of the doorway. The hieroglyphs indicated that that this was the entrance to the secret temple of the god Seth.

"There can't be a temple for Seth here. He was a god whom they did not build a temple for because of his wickedness and his treachery against Osiris." Evie stated, shocked and confused.

Johan, the Priest of Seth, stopped before the doorway. "You are correct. The builders did not build a temple for him but unknown to all, followers and ancient Priests of Seth built this one in secret so only those devoted to him would know that it was here. Which is why you did not find it when you were here last. Well that and also because you didn't have time back then to do studies of the city." She felt his chest move as he laughed. "You were too busy then with the resurrected immortal you awoke."

Evie had to internally agree. She had been extremely occupied with the resurrection of Imhotep and unable to study and discover the vast wonders of this ancient city. And despite all that she had gone through while in this city, the archeologist part of her was still greatly intrigued by all that could be possibly discovered here.

The Priest gave another chuckle "I find it comical that you had thought your life was in peril. You thought he hated you and that he wanted you to die. You had no idea that he truly loved you. You didn't know that he wanted to make you his. You do know his plans that he has for you, don't you?" The Priest asked.

Evie was silent. It was strange to hear this from him. Johan, the Priest of Seth, even knew that Imhotep loved her. He also seemed to know that Imhotep's love and desire for her was deep. And from the way he asked her, it was evident that he already knew what Imhotep planned for her.

"He wishes you bound to him so he can have you at his side for eternity. He has loved you for so long he will not stop until he achieves his goal. He gave all for you, over and over again. He committed betrayal, treachery and murdered the Pharaoh, your father, because he had hurt you. Thus he endured the HomDai that the laws of Egypt and your brother, Rameses, demanded be executed upon him for his treachery. He waited for three thousand years in his grave wanting to see you again. Then upon arising it agonized him to have to wait to make you his until after he could fulfill his promise to Anck-su-namun. For though he did not love her, he is a man of his word. But you, your brother and your friend ruined his plans and sent him back into death before he could succeed. So he was forced to wait again, wondering if he would ever be risen once more and be able to come to you." The Priest entered through the doorway to the temple of Seth and began to walk down a hall lit with fire stands.

"I know all of this because the god Seth showed me in visions and dreams your past life, his past life, and all that has occurred between you and him. Seth wanted me to know these things so I can better understand my enemy." The Priest was nearing another doorway that had the symbol of the god Seth above it.

"So you see, time cannot diminish his love for you nor diminish his determination to make you his. He will do whatever it takes. Which is why I am expecting him to come and try to stop me. So when he arrives, Seth's minions will attack him and keep him incapable to fight me. And when Seth gives me the power to drain away his immortality, I will kill him." The Priest stepped into a large chamber.

The Priest strode across the room and let her down out of his arms to stand on the stone floor. Directly in front of them a large statue of the god Seth towered over them, its eyes fixed to gaze downwards. Evie saw a red square blanket spread out on the stone floor before the statue, under its fixed gaze. Suddenly Johan pushed her forwards to stand on the blanket then he made her kneel before the statue. Evie started to move her hand up to brush her hair out of her face but froze when she felt an uneasy shift in the atmosphere. She became aware of the feeling of having a powerful, otherworldly gaze on her and it made her afraid to look up at the statue. So she kept her gaze averted.

"Nefertiri. Look up to see your soon to be husband. Let him see his future goddess." The Priest of Seth ordered her.

Evie didn't have a choice because the Priest was using his powers to raise her head so she would have to look upon the statue. Only as she was forced to look upon it, she felt like she was no longer looking at just a mere statue. Though the statue remained inexpressive, she sensed the god Seth's presence through the statue. Evie assumed that Seth was using the statue as a physical entity to be present since he was not allowed to walk upon the earth. Despite being unable to see the god Seth, she felt his gaze on her and it made her shiver.

When the Priest of Seth no longer used his power to force her to look upon the statue, Evie quickly averted her gaze. Then she felt his hand on her arm pulling her onto her feet. Standing, she turned away from the statue and cast her gaze about the interior of the temple. She noticed that there were several doorways of halls leading to other parts of the temple but what caught her attention was a large red alter a couple feet away. It was close enough to the statue to be under its gaze.

Evie stared at it fearfully. She knew that was where the Priest of Seth was going to chain her and that was where he was going to bind her to the god Seth.

The Priest's voice caught her attention. "Seth is pleased that I have brought you to him. He has always been pleased with you Nefertiri. You might say he is another of the many admirers you have." He took her arm and led her away from the statue and back down the hall to the treasure chamber.

He took her to the opposite side of the treasure chamber and headed down a narrow path through the towering piles of treasure. They skirted around a large Egyptian gold statue and there out of sight from the rest of the huge treasure chamber, was a solid gold door with beautiful hieroglyphs and drawings.

Evie stared at it in wonder. It was a door to the secret temple of Nefertiri...a temple for her the Princess Nefertiri of Egypt who had the destiny to become an immortal.

The Priest of Seth moved closer to the door, still maintaining his hold on her arm. Evie noticed that there were two six pointed stars in the middle of the door. The Priest reached up and turned first one and then the other, in a similar fashion of turn dial locks. There was an audible click and the gold door opened and slowly started to swing inwards.

"This secret temple is devoted to you Princess Nefertiri." The Priest looked down into her face and stared at her making Evie feel jittery and nervous. "How does it feel to have so many people devoted to you? So many admirers? To be loved by all and wanted by all?" Johan smiled at her.

He raised his other hand up to her cheek, and gently brushed it with the back of his fingers. "You are so beautiful Evelyn...Nefertiri. I wish I could make you mine. However I know better than to defy Seth."

He led her through the door and down a colorful hall lit with fire stands. Evie saw depictions of her and hieroglyphs of her name everywhere. At the end of the hall there were a few steps leading up to an open doorway. The Priest led her up these and as they stepped through the doorway, Evie looked around in amazement. Golden treasures filled her temple. There was a tall statue of her on the opposite side of the room that faced the doorway to greet all those who entered. A statue of Isis and a statue of Hathor towered in the far two corners that flanked the statue of her, Nefertiri.

"Your temple is very lavish isn't it? It is probably the most preserved one there is here in Hamunaptra. Everything in here has been kept intact." The Priest of Seth remarked before leading her across the chamber to a doorway to the right of her statue.

He lead her inside and into a hall. This hall too was lit with fire stands. There were bronze doors on the right side of the hall and a golden door at the very end. The Priest of Seth passed the ones on the right and headed for the one at the end of the hall.

Johan waved his hand at the doors on the right. "These doors are the rooms for your servants. The door here at the end is your chamber. It is furnished just like a bedroom and is as lavish as the one you probably had back in the palace."

When they reached the golden door with her name on it, he opened the door and they stepped inside. He pushed her forwards a step before releasing his hold on her. Evie surveyed the large room. It had a large cushioned silk bed, stands with bottles of perfumes and oils, chests full of jewelry, and an open closet of beautiful ancient Egyptian clothing.

The Priest pointed to the bed where some clothes and jewelry lay. "Seth desires for you to be in your finest and look like the Egyptian princess that you are. He wants you dressed in your Egyptian royalty. You are to change into them. I will give you ten minutes before I return. If you are not changed I will do it myself for we do not have time to waste."

The Priest left the room, closing the door behind him. Evie stood there thinking the situation over. While it would be neat to wear an ancient Egyptian outfit, she didn't want to do so for the god Seth nor for the Seth Priest. Yet if she didn't change Johan said he would change her himself which she definitely didn't want to happen. So she decided to do as instructed for now.

Evie went over to the bed and began changing into the Egyptian clothes. After she had dressed and put jewelry on, she looked even more beautiful and exotic than before. She looked like a true ancient Egyptian Princess.

The strapless dress she wore was muted gold with dark blue designs on it. A thick gold necklace with a large pendant hung from her neck and solid gold bracelets curled around each of her upper arms. Several thin gold and blue bracelets were around left wrist. On her right wrist she wore a wide gold bracelet with large blue and white rectangles. A few gold rings were on her fingers. She had lined her eyes with kohl and placed a headband around the crown of her head. It had three strands of small stars, interspersed with a circle pendant here and there.

Evie felt like she had seen this outfit before and that it was of significance to her. She had worn this before but when? Evie felt a bit dizzy so she sat down on the bed. Then in answer to that unspoken question, her eyes closed of their own accord and she was pulled into a dream.

 _Nefertiri looked through the slits of her sparring mask at her opponent that she despised. Anck-su-namun seemed to stare back at her coolly. The two stood facing each other wearing dazzling sparring outfits of bikini tops and short wraps. Their masks were gold and frozen in emotionless expressions but underneath determined expressions were on both of the young women's faces. They both moved and posed as one before the grand throne room of Pharaoh Seti. The other mistresses of the Pharaoh were seated on the steps up to the throne where Seti sat looking down on his daughter and his concubine both whom were holding glinting sai daggers._

 _Nefertiri was conscious of the gaze of Imhotep standing up there next to her father. She felt self-conscious and a bit jittery but ignored it. She needed to be focused on the spar and her opponent. Though recently, she had been catching Imhotep looking at Anck-su-namun just as much as he looked at her. She wasn't sure why, but she didn't like it. It made her dislike Anck-su-namun all the more._

 _Out of the corner of her eye she saw her father raise his hands preparing to clap. Nefertiri focused and maintained her sparring pose, ready to go into action. The clap came and so did the command. "Pa-umph!" Her father had shouted "Begin!"_

 _Anck-su-namun and Nefertiri swung their sai daggers at the same time. The sai daggers met with a metallic ring. They moved in a flurry of practiced and learned moves. Attack. Defense. Swing. Twirl. They danced a sparing dance of two talented fighters. Their clothes glittered as they swiftly executed their fighting moves with the desire to win._

 _Anck-su-namun did indeed have the upper hand and was an experienced fighter. She was the instructor while Nefertiri was the pupil. Over time, Nefertiri had learned a lot though and was more of a worthy challenge for the concubine. Her skills had been growing more and more. But when Nefertiri made a move to make a good strike, Anck-su-namun used Nefertiri's own move against her. Anck-su-namun turned her about and flung Nefertiri's sai daggers from her hands. They both were sent spinning across the floor of the throne room in two different directions._

 _Nefertiri was disarmed now but she wasn't going to admit defeat. She broke away from Anck-su-namun and ran to the wall. Doing a flip she jumped up on the ledge and grabbed a battle axe off of the wall. She looked back down to Anck-su-namun. Anck-su-namun had started after her going to attack but when she saw that Nefertiri had gotten a different weapon, Anck-su-namun threw her sai daggers and stuck them in some statues. Then Anck-su-namun whipped about and pulled a spear off of a nearby rack. Nefertiri jumped down off the ledge and held her axe ready as she approached Anck-su-namun._

 _Nefertiri tried a swing and then another. Anck-su-namun blocked them. Then Anck-su-namun twisted her spear and knocked the battle axe from Nefertiri's hands. Nefertiri prepared for Anck-su-namun to attack. When Anck-su-namun swung the spear, Nefertiri jumped forward and tried to jerk the spear out of her hands. Only Anck-su-namun twisted and flipped her over so that Nefertiri landed on her back on the throne room floor. Before Nefertiri could get up, Anck-su-namun was over her holding the spear near her throat. Nefertiri had been defeated and it aggravated her._

 _The audience applauded the fight. Nefertiri and Anck-su-namun stared at each other._

 _"You are learning quickly Nefertiri. I will have to watch my back." Anck-su-namun told her with a half grin half smirk._

 _"Yes. And I'll watch mine." Nefertiri replied to Anck-su-namun's surprise._

 _There was clapping and Seti was descending the stairs to them. "Bayo! Bayo!" Seti cried. "Bravo! Bravo!"_

 _Anck-su-namun dropped the spear and moved back. She offered her hand to Nefertiri to help her up but Nefertiri did not take it. Nefertiri did not want the concubine's help so she stood up on her own. Once she was on her feet, they stepped back away from each other._

 _Seti moved to be near Nefertiri. He made an indicating motion to a Med-Jai holding a golden chest. "Who better to protect the Bracelet of Anubis than my lovely daughter Nefertiri."_

 _The Med-Jai moved forward and through the two women, opening the chest to show off the Bracelet of Anubis before he closed it again. Seti turned and looked to Anck-su-namun._

 _Seti waved his hand in Anck-su-namun's direction. "And who better to protect me than my future wife Anck-su-namun."_

 _Nefertiri seethed as she watched Anck-su-namun bow respectfully and back up. Nefertiri's mind raged. How could her father marry her? Nefertiri despised her. But Nefertiri had no more time to rage over it for her father turned to her with open arms._

 _"Well done daughter." Seti told her as he embraced her in a fatherly hug._

 _Nefertiri stared at Anck-su-namun over her father's shoulder. Imhotep descended the stairs and passed between the two women. Nefertiri watched as Imhotep shared a deep glance with Anck-su-namun. Anck-su-namun seemed just a bit surprised but met his gaze. Then as Imhotep passed, Anck-su-namun slowly looked forwards as Imhotep's priests followed after him. Anck-su-namun and Nefertiri shared another silent stare. They had both seen what had happened and it hung between them with tension. Nefertiri couldn't explain it but it made her upset and angry that Imhotep had shared a glance like that with Anck-su-namun._

 _Later that night dressed in a strapless gold dress with dark blue designs and wearing all her favorite jewelry including her gold curling bracelets winding around both of her upper arms and her star headband, Nefertiri went out onto her balcony to enjoy the cool night air. Looking up, she saw thousands of stars in the dark sky and could hear the noises of the people below in the city of Thebes...her beloved home._

 _Across the courtyard where Anck-su-namun's balcony and bed chamber was, Nefertiri noticed Imhotep standing within. It seemed that he was waiting for Anck-su-namun. Confusion and anger ran through her. What was he doing in Anck-su-namun's room? Such a thing was not allowed! Then she saw her despised enemy come through the curtain and walk over to Imhotep. The two seemed to share a special moment known only to them before the two kissed. Nefertiri looked away in pure anger and shame. She was witnessing her father's concubine and his loyal Priest of Osiris betray him. But Nefertiri couldn't help but to look back._

 _The two suddenly broke apart from kissing and seemed to be anxious._

 _"It is the Pharaoh!" Imhotep exclaimed._

 _"Go and hide." Anck-su-namun told Imhotep._

 _Imhotep disappeared behind a curtain and Anck-su-namun moved to the cat statue and took up a pose. Nefertiri watched as her father came through the curtain calling for Anck-su-namun. Seti saw her and walked up to her. Suddenly he pointed to her shoulder where Imhotep had earlier smeared her body paint when he had been kissing her._

 _"Who has touched you?" Seti demanded._

 _Nefertiri saw Imhotep come out of his hiding place and come up behind her father. Anck-su-namun must have looked behind Seti to him for Seti turned and saw Imhotep._

 _"Imhotep? My Priest?" Seti declared shocked at the betrayal._

 _Imhotep pulled Seti's sword away from Seti. Alarm spread through Nefertiri. She leaned over her balcony and looked down to the Med-Jai in the courtyard._

 _"Med-Jai! Med-Jai! My father needs you!" Nefertiri cried pointing across the way to Anck-su-namun's balcony. The Med-Jai hurried inside the building in haste to reach their Pharaoh._

 _Then Nefertiri watched in horror as Anck-su-namun pulled a dagger from Seti's belt and plunged it into his back. Nefertiri cringed as she heard her father's pained cry. Then Imhotep swung Seti's sword and struck Seti. Seti sent up another pained cry as he crumpled to the floor and Imhotep and Anck-su-namun continued to stab him to death._

 _"No!" Nefertiri yelled tears pouring down her face. "No!"_

 _She couldn't believe her father was being killed. She felt rage against Anck-su-namun and Imhotep. She couldn't understand how Imhotep who had been so loyal to her father could do this. Questions began running through her mind. Why had he done this? Had he loved Anck-su-namun? The thought that he loved Anck-su-namun pained her as if she had been stabbed in the heart. It was in that moment she realized then that she loved him. She just hadn't realized it until now, when it was too late._

Evie's eyes opened and she felt her chest heaving trying to draw in rapid breaths. Unshed tears blurred her vision and the emotions she had experienced in the dream, lingered. She had never experienced a heart ache like that before. Before the dream had ended she had begun to feel grief overwhelm her and it wasn't just because they had killed Seti. It was from the realization that she had lost her chance at love with Imhotep.

Thinking back through all of her other dreams, she realized the exact moment that she had lost her chance. The critical moment had been the night when Imhotep and her father had entered into her bed chamber to announce the plan for the feast and inform her that she and Anck-su-namun were to spar. It had been that moment when he had watched her with intense eyes waiting to see if she would show him any sign of being interested in him. And when she had dismissed him by looking away, he had decided to leave her be since he believed that she did not love him. Her inadvertent rejection of him had caused him to turn to Anck-su-namun. And thus had started the chain reaction that led them all to this present day.

Evie shook her head sadly. If only then she could have realized how she felt about him, perhaps things would have been much different. So many of the bad things that had happened could have been prevented. The past couldn't be changed but she definitely had learned something from it. She didn't plan on making the same mistake twice.

Now knowing that she had truly loved Imhotep in her past life and given the fact that she had already been developing feelings for him in this current life, it was evident that the two of them were meant to be together.

"Nefertiri I expect you are ready by now." Came the Priest of Seth's voice. The door swung open to reveal the Priest standing in the doorway. His eyes found her and he appraised the sight of her in the royal finery with surprise and awe.

"You are beautiful Nefertiri. You look like the true ancient Egyptian princess that you are. Seth will be pleased." He waved his hand upwards. "Stand."

Evie bristled at his demand and her stubbornness emerged. "Why should I obey you Johan?"

The Priest of Seth waved his hand and with the use of his powers, made her stand. He forced her to go to him and when she was before him, he grabbed her upper arm.

"Because Princess I am the one with the power to make you do so and the one who holds the power over you to bind you right now. Do not test me Nefertiri." He narrowed his eyes at her.

Johan pulled her along through the door and down the hall. "It is time now to perform the ceremony. Can't afford any more delay."

As he led her out of her temple, Evie struggled against him but it did no good. Where was Imhotep? He had promised her that he wouldn't let her be bound to Seth. And where were Rick, Jonathon and Ardeth?

As they began to make their way across the treasure room, Evie saw that the four demonic minions of Seth waited for them outside of Seth's secret temple. They fixed their internally burning gazes on her and wore sinister smirks.

" _Our master, the god Seth awaits you ancient princess. You are going to be made his. You are going to be our second master for eternity._ " Their evil voices chanted in her mind.

Evie cringed and put her hand up to her head. "Make them stop."

But the Priest of Seth was not concerned. "They are welcoming you. It is the procession, honor and respect due to you since you are going to become Seth's goddess."

"No. No. No." Evie shook her head trying to dislodge their voices from her mind. But the voices continued as they went through the treasure chamber toward the secret doorway of the temple of Seth.

Evie renewed her struggle against Johan, trying to free herself. She was running out of time. Fear coursed through her and in her mind she screamed for Imhotep to hear her through their mind link.

"Imhotep! Please help me!" She internally cried, hoping that he could hear her for she knew that he was the only one who could truly save her.


	16. Chapter 16: Timely Prevention

**Whew, I finally got to update! Thank goodness, huh? Lol Enjoy :)**

Rick, Jonathon and Ardeth were tossed out of the swirling sand tornado and onto the sandy ground inside the city of Hamunaptra. The wind whipped about a bit chaotically as Imhotep diminished the tornado and materialized to his normal form.

Rick and Ardeth were quick to get back up on their feet and begin following Imhotep to the door that would lead them into the depths of the city. Meanwhile Jonathon was slower to get up. He coughed and brushed dust from himself all the while muttering about the unusual journey here.

"Come on Jonathon! You can complain later. Evie needs us right now!" Rick hollered at him.

Jonathon got to his feet and hurried to catch up. Imhotep entered through the door first and started heading down the hall. Ardeth, Rick and Jonathon followed him, casting wary glances about.

"Does the creature know where they might be?" Ardeth asked.

"Do you want me to ask him?" Jonathon asked Rick and Ardeth.

"Uh, yeah." Rick remarked irritably.

Jonathon cleared his throat and spoke up for Imhotep to hear him, speaking in ancient Egyptian. "Do you know where the Priest has taken Evie?"

"They will be in a temple dedicated to the god Seth." Imhotep's voice carried back to him. "It is located across the treasure room from Nefertiri's temple. I know this because I discovered it while the Priest of Seth was away from the city."

"Wow." Jonathon remarked in English, surprise evident in his voice.

"What?" Rick and Ardeth both asked.

"Evie has her own temple." Jonathon replied in awe.

Rick rolled his eyes in slight annoyance. "Do you mind telling us what his answer was? Does he know where they are?"

"Oh yeah, he said that they will be in the temple of Seth which is directly located somewhere off of the treasure room." Jonathon answered.

They continued on down the main hall but when it branched into more halls, Imhotep didn't take the one that led to the treasure room. Instead he began heading down the hall that led to Osiris's temple. Ardeth, Rick and Jonathon continued to follow but exchanged skeptical glances.

"I thought we were supposed to go through the treasure room?" Ardeth questioned.

Jonathon somewhat nervously mentioned this to Imhotep and then relayed the answer back to Rick and Ardeth. "He is taking us to Osiris's temple so he can get the Book of Amun-ra."

When they arrived in the temple of Osiris, Imhotep left the three of them waiting in the main chamber of the temple while he went to retrieve the book from where he had hidden it. After Imhotep returned holding the shining golden Book of Amun-ra in his hands, they all exited the temple without saying a word. Imhotep then began heading toward the treasure room with Rick, Ardeth and Jonathon in tow.

" _Imhotep! Please help me!_ " Nefertiri's frightened yell resounded in Imhotep's mind. He was immediately alarmed yet he couldn't help but give just the barest hint of a satisfied smile. Nefertiri was calling for him, trusting in him to save her. From the manner in which she had called out for him, he sensed that her feelings about him had changed.

"Hurry. He is beginning the ritual." Imhotep announced before beginning to rush down the hall. Jonathon translated Imhotep's words and immediately they all hastened towards the treasure room.

Two demon minions of Seth were ahead of her and the remaining two were behind as the Priest of Seth began to force her down the hall of Seth's temple. The minions chant kept ringing in her mind and as they entered into the main room with the statue of Seth, her fear began to rapidly increase. Evie tried to dig her heels in and stop but she was pulled forward toward the statue and the red alter.

"Don't do this! You will put the whole world in danger if you bind me to him!" Evie cried as the Priest of Seth picked her up and laid her on top of the alter.

Evie felt the minions hands graze her skin as they clamped the wrist and ankle cuffs on her, effectively chaining her to the alter. The cuffs were tight and didn't give her much wiggle room to rotate her hands. She felt the coldness of the red alter under her and against the bare skin of her neck, shoulders, calves and ankles. It sent a uncontrolled shiver coursing throughout her body.

The minions moved back and stood in a line between her on the alter and the doorway of the temple. Evie struggled fruitlessly against the restrictive cuffs as the Priest of Seth moved towards a small table beside the statue of Seth.

"Since I serve Seth I will not be in danger. He will reward me for my loyalty to him. So I must do as he tells me. It is my task to bind you to him. He wants you with him to give him more power, to give him access to come down here on earth and rule it. And he wants you to be his beautiful goddess at his side. Why should you fear this Nefertiri? As his goddess you will fall in love with him and be immune to his cruelness. This is a privilege for you Nefertiri to be bound to a god." The Priest of Seth picked up a ceremonial knife with a red blade and a black hilt.

"Don't you want to be a goddess?" He asked her.

Evie fought the cuffs and shook her head. "No. I don't want to be his."

The Priest of Seth, Johan, shrugged and came to stand in between her and the Seth statue. "It doesn't matter whether you wish to or not. Once you are bound to him you will want to be his and in turn you will be glad that you are."

"But you can't force me!" Evie cried. Though she knew that this wasn't true, she hoped that perhaps her words would cause him to falter.

"I can by getting Seth's blessing first." Johan answered without hesitation.

He turned around and cast his gaze up at the statue of Seth. He began chanting and after a moment Evie once again sensed Seth's presence in the statue and that even now he was looking down upon them.

"Great supreme god Seth. God of chaos and evil. I come as your loyal Priest ready to fulfill my task that you have given me." Johan, the Priest of Seth spoke with loyalty, respect and reverence to his evil god Seth. "I bring to you the reincarnated, beloved Princess Nefertiri of Egypt. Daughter of Pharaoh Seti and sister to the Pharaoh Rameses. Her destiny is to be bound to an immortal forever. She will fall in love with the one she is bound to. She will bring more power, benefits and invincibility to the immortal that binds her to him. I only need your blessing to perform the ritual to bind her forcefully to you great god Seth. Without your blessing binding her cannot be forced. So I ask for your blessing that I may uphold and fulfill your task given to me."

Evie renewed her cry for help to Imhotep within her mind. She didn't know if it had worked last time but she desperately hoped it had. _"_ _Imhotep! Please help me! Don't let me be bound to Seth!"_

Relief and comfort flowed through Evie when she heard his voice in her mind. _"_ _I am coming for you Nefertiri! I will not let you be bound to Seth."_

The sound of a new voice, which she had never heard before, caught her attention. The voice resonated with power and the sound of it sent a shiver of fear racing through her.

"I Seth, god of chaos, give you my blessings to force and bind the Princess Nefertiri to me for all eternity." The god Seth said.

Johan, the Priest of Seth, moved towards the statue, with the ceremonial dagger in his hand. He stopped before the statue and Evie froze in the midst of her struggling as she watched a small black portal appear in the face of the statue of Seth. The black portal was writhed in black smoke and Evie watched transfixed as a face appeared within it…the face of the god Seth.

He looked just like the Egyptians depicted him, unreal and terrifying. But then his half human god form melted away and in its place was the face of a man with tan skin. His hair was jet black and his facial features were angular. His eyes were not the color of any normal human's eyes. They were blood red and Evie could actually see a visible flame of evil burning within them. Evil, cruelness, chaos and darkness swirled around him thickly.

Seth's eyes met hers, maintaining a steady gaze before giving her a slow, evilly victorious smile. Evie trembled and tore her gaze away from his. Instead she looked over at Johan and saw him start to raise his hands to stab the ceremonial knife through the portal, to get a portion of Seth's immortality. For since the god Seth could not fully be physically present, the Priest of Seth would have to stab him through the portal. Then it would be her that he would be stabbing next, to successfully bind her to Seth.

Evie struggled furiously against her restraints, twisting and jerking trying to find a way to free herself but the cuffs held her in place.

"Imhotep!" Evie yelled aloud at the top of her lungs.

Johan was just about to plunge the knife through the portal when Evie heard the sound of several running footsteps in the hall. The demonic minions of Seth growled before merging into the shadows of the large chamber. Johan paused and looked towards the doorway at the same time that Imhotep, Rick, Ardeth and Jonathon ran into the chamber.

When the four of them assessed the scene, they all came to an abrupt halt. Their gazes landed upon Evie, as she lay there chained to the alter. They noticed that despite the situation she was in, she looked radiantly beautiful in the Egyptian attire. Then with shocked expressions, they noticed the statue of Seth with the smoke wreathed portal that held the face of Seth. And that the Priest of Seth was poised ready to pierce the portal with the ceremonial knife, which was only mere inches away from it.

Evie gave a sigh of relief at the sight of her rescuers. "Don't let him bind me to Seth."

Just then she saw movement in the shadows on either side of them and movement on the ceiling. Evie saw a flash of the burning eyes and sharp claws.

"Watch out! The demons are around you!" Evie cried out to warn them.

Imhotep looked up and spotted two demons on the ceiling right before the demons launched themselves downwards. Rick noticed the two above, that Imhotep had seen, while Ardeth saw one off to the right and Jonathon kept looking about peering into the darkness to the left. Ardeth immediately started shooting at the one that he saw to his right. Rick was fixing to shoot the two demons launching themselves downward upon them but Imhotep used his powers to obliterate them before Rick had a chance to squeeze off a shot.

Just then the one closest to Jonathon sprang out with its claws spread, ready to slice through his flesh. Jonathon gave a startled yelp and jumped back as he pointed his pistol at it and fired. Rick swerved about and started shooting the one that was attacking Jonathon.

Imhotep turned his attention across the chamber to Nefertiri and the Priest of Seth. The Priest of Seth gave a smirk and in an instant plunged the ceremonial knife through the portal in the statue of Seth. Seth's face didn't even grimace at the intrusion of the knife. After Johan withdrew the knife, he whirled about to face the alter, the knife dripping with black blood.

Evie ceased her struggling, frozen in fear. Johan needed to only take one step towards her and plunge the knife down to seal her fate to the god Seth.

"The cursed immortal Imhotep." Came the voice of the god Seth. "The Princess will be mine and I will rule this earth."

The Priest of Seth smiled feeling victorious and sure while Imhotep's face grew enraged. Imhotep took a quick step forwards but so did Johan. The Priest of Seth now stood right by the alter with the ceremonial knife raised above his head and poised in midair, ready to stab Evie.

Evie saw the glint in Johan's eyes that warned her that he was fixing to stab her. Evie flinched, expecting to soon feel the pain of the blade piercing her chest but just before the knife could come more than half way down towards her, Johan was halted by Imhotep's powers.

Johan took one hand off of the suspended knife and raised it toward Imhotep intending to wage a power war. Imhotep met the Priest of Seth's power with his own and then with a forceful blast of power, Imhotep shoved the Priest away from Evie and back against the statue. Johan hit the statue hard but maintained his grip on the dagger.

Instantly Imhotep moved around the alter and took up a protective stance, standing between Evie and Johan. The sight of him once again putting himself in between her and danger, stirred feelings for him within Evie. Further proof that she was indeed falling for the ancient lord of Egypt.

"You think you can keep me from making her Seth's? I cannot fail Seth. I will not fail Seth." Johan spat ready to fight.

Imhotep's stare on the Priest of Seth was deadly. Power, anger, and determination surged within him. He would fulfill his promise to Nefertiri. He would do anything for her and he would not let her be bound to the god Seth.

"Nefertiri will not become Seth's. There is a different future for her and I will see it through once I kill you." Imhotep confidently stated, his voice full of power when he spoke.

The Priest of Seth, Johan sneered. "Do you forget Imhotep that we both are immortal?"

The sound of constant gunfire broke Evie's focus on the two Priests and she turned her head to look over at her other protectors. With shock she saw that Ardeth had shot so many bullets and holes into the demon that black blood pooled on the floor but still it did not die. Rick and Jonathon were firing a good bit at the other demon as well but it also was not dying.

What could kill these demons? Bullets apparently weren't doing the trick and the only way the others had been killed were when Imhotep had killed them by using the sheer force of his powers. Evie's mind raced. What other lethal methods were there to try to use against them?

As Ardeth moved about shooting at the demon, fire light caught on his scimitar making it glint. Evie brightened with an idea.

"Ardeth! Use your scimitar!" Evie called to him trying to lean up as much as she could to see them better.

Ardeth heard her for in a flash he dropped the Thompson machine gun and pulled out his scimitar. Ardeth dodged the demon's claws and swung at it. He sliced its arm deep but it kept going. Then Ardeth had a shot and he stabbed it quickly in the stomach before pulling it back out. The demon staggered but still did not die.

Evie noticed this and her mind raced again. A demon wouldn't have a heart because it was evil so stabbing it in the heart would not work. Obviously stabbing in the stomach didn't work either. So what else was vital?

"It's head Ardeth! Cut off its head!"

Ardeth ducked a swipe of its claws and sprung back up swinging his scimitar. The metal of the scimitar glinted as it detached the head from the body. And as soon as the head was off, the demon burst into red and black flames and disappeared. Ardeth took a much needed breath and looked over at Evie. He nodded to her in thanks for her wise advise before turning his gaze to Rick and Jonathon, who were fighting the last remaining demon.

"O'Connell!" Ardeth yelled to get Rick's attention.

When Rick turned, Ardeth tossed him the scimitar which Rick caught. The demon took a swipe at Rick who jumped back just in time to successfully dodge it.

"Cut off the head to kill it!" Ardeth instructed.

Rick dodged the next swipe and then quickly side stepped out of the way when the demon lunged towards him. As the demon lunged past him, Rick swung the scimitar. The move was effective resulting in the last demon being beheaded. Just like the others, it burst into red and black flames before disappearing.

Rick held up the scimitar. "Thanks."

All three of them, Jonathon, Rick and Ardeth, looked to her. Evie gave them a relieved smile as they ran up to her and began to remove the cuffs around her wrists. As Rick and Ardeth removed the cuffs, Evie returned her attention to Imhotep and Johan. From her view point she couldn't see Imhotep's expression but she clearly saw Johan's, full of anger and irritation.

When the cuffs around her wrists fell to the floor with a metallic clanging noise, Evie sat up and started taking the cuffs off of her ankles. The sound of an angry growl caused Evie to look up.

"You may have defeated the demons but I am still here. All it will take is one swift move and she will be bound to Seth. And you can't kill me I'm immortal." The Priest of Seth said, glaring at all four of her rescuers with deadly and angry intent.

Imhotep withdrew something from within his robes. When the fire light reflected off of the gold covered object, Evie realized he held the Book of Amun-ra.

"That can be changed." Imhotep's voice resounded, powerful and ominous.

Imhotep extended his arm back, holding out the book towards Evie while maintaining his focus on the Priest. Imhotep wished he could look at his love but he didn't dare take his eyes off of the enemy.

Evie took the book into her hands and was awed again at the object of her life's pursuit here in her hands. It had been what had drawn her to Hamunaptra. It had saved them before and it could do so now. There was no need to worry about needing the key. The lock was already opened from the last time they had used it, three years ago.

Johan stared at Evie and the gold book that she now held in her hands. "The Book of Amun-ra? The book that they once used to kill you? You put it into her hands? If she reads it now to try to kill me, then we both could be killed. You are willing to risk it?" He sneered at Imhotep.

Evie turned her gaze onto Imhotep, debating on what she should do. Looking to Rick, Ardeth, and Jonathon she saw that they all thought that this was an excellent opportunity for them. They knew that with both Priests turned mortal that either the Priests would kill each other off or Rick and Ardeth could kill whoever the winner was, ultimately ridding them of both Priests.

Evie slid off of the alter to stand on the side that Rick, Ardeth and Jonathon stood on, which happened to be the furthest away from the Priest of Seth.

"Open it Evie. Read from it and take away his immortality." Rick said leaning close to quietly say it in her ear.

Evie was not sure exactly which Priest Rick was referring to since she knew that really he wanted them both gone. All she had to do was open the Book and begin reading for both of the Priest's immortality to be taken away. It all could end right here and right now. If she had still had the same mindset that she did those three years ago, she would already be reading from the book to eliminate both Priests. But things had changed since then which was why she was hesitating.

Evie had no qualms about aiding in the elimination of the Priest of Seth, but she did have misgivings with the idea of being a factor in Imhotep's death. She could no longer view him as an enemy. He was not someone for her to fear.

Evie had no doubt as to the depth of Imhotep's love for her, seeing as how on several occasions he had already proven that he was willing to do anything for her. Nor could she ignore their past, their missed opportunity at love. She had been in love with him, as Nefertiri, and she was undoubtedly starting to fall in love with him as Evie. So she did not wish for his death.

 _"What do I do?"_ Evie asked Imhotep in her mind.

Imhotep answered her and his words flowed in her mind. _"The Priest's immortality must be taken away. I do not wish for mine to be taken away as well but I cannot leave. He is too close to binding you now and without me using my powers to stop him, he would bind you to Seth in but a single movement."_

Evie heard him sigh in her mind and his voice was now tinged with sorrow. _"Read from the book Nefertiri. I will keep him here so he can be killed. Whatever shall happen, whether I and the Priest kill each other, the men with you try to fight me and kill me, or even if you shall help them kill me...I will always love you Nefertiri. As I said there is nothing that you can do to make me no longer love or desire you. I will always love you for all eternity."_

There was a brief pause before his voice came again in her mind. This time it was firm and determined. _"Read from the book now my love. Let's end this and make you safe."_

 **Sorry guys that it took so long to update. I will try to update again as soon as I'm able. I've just been crazy busy lately.** **Have a good weekend everyone!**


	17. Chapter 17: For All Of Eternity

**For your reading pleasure, here is the final update of His Reincarnated Princess. Enjoy! :)**

Though Evie didn't want Imhotep's immortality to be taken away, she couldn't think of a different solution so she hurried and did as he had told her. She flipped the golden cover of the Book of Amun-ra open and started turning to the right page.

Suddenly Johan lunged forwards in an attempt to get past Imhotep and get to her. Alarmed, Evie jumped back and Rick and Ardeth hurriedly moved her behind them protectively. In an instant, Imhotep darted before the Priest and forcefully shoved him causing Johan to fly backwards across the room and hit the far wall. With a determined stride, Imhotep began to cross the room to go and confront the Priest.

"Hurry Evie while they both are busy." Rick urged her.

Evie hurriedly began flipping through the pages again. She had just reached the correct page and was scanning it, looking for the incantation, when Jonathon's nervous voice made her pause.

"Uhh...what is happening with that?" Jonathon was looking toward the Seth statue with an alarmed expression.

Evie directed her attention towards the statue and saw the face of Seth wearing an absolutely livid expression.

"He isn't too happy now is he?" Rick commented wryly.

Abruptly the statue began to shake and the ground beneath them rumbled. All the while the two Priests across the room were locked in an immortal fight, using their powers against the other. Now having found the incantation, Evie started reading it aloud with a loud voice.

Across the room the two Priests instantly halted. Johan seemed stricken and shocked while a flicker of recognition and sorrow crossed Imhotep's face. Though neither Imhotep nor Evie wished for this to have to happen, Evie continued to read the chant knowing it was needed. There was no stopping it now.

A loud popping sound caused Evie to jump and she paused for a brief moment to see where it had come from. The smoke writhing portal that had shown the god Seth's face had snapped shut and disappeared.

Johan had noticed this as well and realized that Seth had abandoned him. He turned away from Imhotep and began to flee towards the temple doorway. Imhotep however was fast on the Priest of Seth's heels and having caught up to the Priest, Imhotep held him in place with an unbreakable grip. After saying the last words of the incantation, Evie looked up and across the room at the two Priests.

There came the sound of a whip and the neighing of horses. They all looked toward the doorway of the temple to see a blue misty portal to the underworld open. Out of it emerged the same chariot of horses and driver from the underworld that had appeared three years ago. The chariot raced forwards and passed over the two Priests, taking their misty immortal forms with it. It then turned and went back through the portal without leaving a trace of it behind.

Seeming to realize that his doom was imminent, Johan brandished the ceremonial knife and swung it at Imhotep. Evie felt like her heart had leapt into her throat due to her fear for Imhotep's life. However to Evie's relief, Imhotep dodged the lethal attack and in a swift move twisted the knife out of Johan's grasp. Before Johan had time to truly register what had just happened, Imhotep plunged the blood stained dagger into Johan's chest.

Johan gasped in shock and pain at the blade piercing his chest. Imhotep released Johan and took a step back as Johan collapsed to the stone floor. None of them moved as Johan lay there, experiencing his last moments before his eyes closed and he took his last breath.

Complete silence filled the chamber and Imhotep looked up and over at Evie. Their eyes met and a sense of relief and warmth flooded through her. Imhotep had been able to keep his promise to her. He had saved her from being bound to Seth. And even now from across the room, Evie could sense his deep love for her.

"Now it's only down to one." Rick remarked, raising the scimitar to a battle ready position, his gaze locked on Imhotep.

There was the metallic sound of a sword being drawn as Ardeth withdrew a second somewhat shorter scimitar from his robes.

Evie realized that they were preparing themselves to attack Imhotep, planning for his death, and it stirred fear within her. For Imhotep no longer had his powers nor a weapon to defend himself. And she didn't have a weapon to help defend him either. This is what she had feared would happen and her mind raced on how to prevent it for she couldn't bear for Imhotep to be killed.

With the Book of Amun-ra still in her hands, Evie stepped out in front of Rick and Ardeth, putting herself in between them and Imhotep. Facing them, she squared her shoulders.

"You can't kill him." Evie stated, resolutely.

"What do you mean we can't kill him? His immortality is gone so he can be killed." Rick replied, giving her a quizzical look.

"Let me rephrase that. I won't let you kill him." Evie declared.

"And why not?" Rick asked skeptically.

Evie halfway turned to cast her gaze back at Imhotep and their gazes locked again. In that moment as she looked upon him, she knew.

"Because I love him." Evie said, her tone now soft.

When her declaration was met with silence, Evie looked back at Rick, Ardeth and Jonathon who wore expressions of utter astonishment. Jonathon even stared at her, his mouth gaping open in shock.

"Evie you can't be serious." Jonathon remarked incredulously.

Evie turned her gaze back to Imhotep and gave him a soft smile as she replied to Jonathon. "Actually I'm completely serious."

With a slow stride, Imhotep began to walk towards her. Though he didn't understand their words, he still could decipher the situation. His princess was trying to keep the others from attacking him. She was trying to help save him.

Imhotep stopped next to Evie and offered her his hand. Without a moment's hesitation Evie took it and allowed him to pull her close to him.

"What did you tell them?" Imhotep asked her, his eyes searching hers.

"That I won't let them kill you because…" Evie paused, holding his gaze. "I love you Imhotep."

Instantly he wore a wide grin and his face lit up in happiness upon hearing her declaration of love for him. He briefly closed his eyes, savoring this moment that he had endured so much for and waited so long for. His princess reciprocated his love!

"As Nefertiri I hadn't realized that I loved you until after it was too late. And now I've fallen in love with you again. I'm sorry you've had to wait so long." Evie told him, her voice soft.

Imhotep gave her a genuine smile as he looked upon her beautiful face. "It no longer matters, now that we can be together."

Unaware of the words that they spoke but fully aware of the way they were looking at each other, Rick shook his head. "He's the bad guy, Evie."

Evie directed her attention over to Rick, seeing that he, Ardeth and Jonathon were not ready to accept any of this. Which was understandable because they had no reason to view him as anything other than the enemy, but that would have to change.

Ardeth nodded in agreement with Rick's words. "As a Med-Jai I'm sworn to keep him in his grave."

Evie glanced at each of them in turn. "I know it's going to be difficult to think of him as anything other than the enemy. All of our previous encounters with him were not good ones but it was all due to a huge misunderstanding. He is not the enemy. Everything he has done, it was all because of his love for me."

Evie looked to Ardeth. "I imagine that it was Ramses, Seti's son who succeeded the throne after the death of Seti, who gave the Med-Jai the task of keeping Imhotep in his grave…was it not?"

Ardeth gave a curt nod.

"As a reincarnated Nefertiri, a Princess of Egypt, would you acknowledge me removing this task? Requesting that the Med-Jai no longer seek to keep Imhotep out of this world?" Evie proposed, wanting to find a good resolution to this dilemma.

Silence momentarily fell as Ardeth internally debated this.

"If that is what you wish. Princess." He gave her a respectful nod indicating that even though he wasn't entirely at ease with the decision, he would do as she asked.

"Thank you Ardeth." Evie said as she gave him a polite nod in return.

Ardeth lowered his sword and returned it to its sheath at his side.

"You don't want us to kill him but can we trust that he won't try to kill us?" Rick questioned, eyeing Imhotep a bit warily though he did lower his sword.

Evie turned to Imhotep. "Will you promise me that you won't ever harm them?"

"As long as they do not try to harm me, I will not harm them. I give you my word Nefertiri." Imhotep agreed.

"Good because you will all need to find a way to get along." She replied.

Though Imhotep didn't look thrilled with the idea, he gave an acknowledging nod. "For your sake I will try to do so."

Evie turned her gaze back onto Rick, Ardeth and Jonathon. "He has given me his word that he will not try to hurt you as long as you don't try to hurt him."

Rick gave Imhotep another wary look but shrugged and put away the sword.

"This is going to take some getting used to…my baby sister with the mummy." Jonathon pipped up, glancing between Evie and Imhotep. "I guess this means that you are going to let him bind you to him?"

Rick shook his head in disagreement. "Evie had said that she had to be bound to an immortal. He is not immortal anymore."

"Unless…" An idea began to race through Evie's mind and she began scanning pages of the Book of Amun-ra. "I can restore his immortality."

"Is that even possible?" Rick asked a bit doubtfully.

Continuing her scanning, she shrugged. "Typically what is done can be undone. If the spell to take it away is in here, then there should likely be a spell to restore it."

Having observed the way Evie was scanning through the golden pages of the Book of Amun-ra, Imhotep remarked upon it. "What are you searching for?"

Evie glanced up at him. "A way to restore your immortality."

"You truly wish to be bound together for eternity?" Imhotep happily asked, wanting to confirm that this was indeed what she wanted.

"Yes. I couldn't imagine being bound to anyone else." Evie replied smiling back at him.

Evie flipped to the next page and about halfway down the page, she spotted what she was looking for. "Here it is! It can be done!"

"And you are sure you want to do this Evie?" Rick questioned.

"Without a doubt." Evie stated positively.

Facing Imhotep, Evie began to read the chant aloud. A strong wind began to blow and spiral around Imhotep, who had closed his eyes. Evie pushed a few errant strands of hair away from her eyes and kept reading. When she had finished the chant, she looked up to Imhotep. The wind died down and with a satisfied smile on his face, Imhotep slowly opened his eyes.

"Did it work?" Johnathon asked.

"Was it successful?" Evie asked Imhotep.

Imhotep slowly and minutely motioned upwards with his right hand. The Book of Amun-ra slowly and steadily rose out of Evie's hands and into the air before being suspended in mid-air.

Imhotep gave her a pleased smile. "Yes."

Using his powers he lowered the book back into Evie's hands. "Thank you Nefertiri."

"You are welcome." Stepping closer to him, Evie put the golden book in his hands, further displaying her trust in him.

"Are you ready to go through the ritual?" Imhotep asked her.

Evie nodded affirmatively. "Yes."

"We will perform it in your temple, so it can be further blessed by Isis and Hathor." Imhotep held the Book of Amun-ra in his left hand and offered her his right.

Evie took it but halted Imhotep when he started to head for the temple of Seth's doorway. Imhotep paused, looking to her questioningly. Evie briefly tightened her grip on his reassuringly before looking over at Jonathon, Rick and Ardeth.

"We are going to perform the binding ceremony. You are welcome to come but I'll understand if you don't want to. It would be nice to have you there though." Evie told them, seeking their support even if they were not thrilled about her forever tying herself to Imhotep.

"Of course." Jonathon was the one to answer first. "I can't let my baby sister go through this alone."

Ardeth gave an affirming nod. "I'm at your service Evelyn, Princess Nefertiri."

Evie turned her gaze to Rick, questioningly.

"Even though I'm not a fan of him," Rick indicated Imhotep. "I'm here for you Evie."

Evie let out a relieved breath that she didn't realize she had been holding and gave the three of them a warm, grateful smile. While they weren't thrilled about her decision, it was amazing to see that they truly were there for her no matter what. Glancing around at all four of the men, Evie felt blessed to have such amazing people in her life.

In a quiet procession, they all made their way to her temple, the temple of Nefertiri. When they stepped through the doorway and into the main temple chamber which was filled with golden treasures, the towering statue of her and the statues of Isis and Hathor in either corner, Imhotep led Evie to the center of of the room and stopped next to a golden table. Meanwhile Jonathon, Rick and Ardeth stood frozen in place at the sight of the lavish interior.

Jonathon's mouth gaped open, like a fish's out of water, at the sight of all of the gold. Rick and Ardeth even looked a little awed.

"Evie, why didn't you tell me you were rich!" Jonathon exclaimed.

Evie shrugged. "The thought slipped out of my mind I guess."

"I can't see how it could. It never would have slipped out of my mind." Jonathon remarked.

"It's probably the only thought that wouldn't." Rick commented, causing Evie to laugh and Ardeth to give an amused grin.

"Are you ready Nefertiri?"

Imhotep's voice returned her full attention back to him. She looked deep into his eyes and nodded.

Imhotep placed the Book of Amun-ra on top of the golden table next to them and slid open one of the table drawers. Inside laid a dagger with a golden, jewel encrusted hilt. Evie's heartbeat quickened, anxious about the moment that she was going to have to be stabbed with it. But when her gaze met Imhotep's again and she saw the reassuring look that he gave her, she was able to tame her fear.

"I Imhotep, Priest of Osiris, ask for blessings from Isis, Hathor and Osiris to become eternally bound to the great Princess Nefertiri, the one beloved by all." Imhotep called out.

Imhotep indicated that it was her turn, so she called out in the same fashion that Imhotep had.

"I Evelyn Carnahan, the reincarnation of Princess Nefertiri, ask for blessings from Isis, Hathor and Osiris to become eternally bound to Imhotep, the Priest of Osiris."

In response, the silver blade of the dagger turned into gold. Evie wasn't sure what it meant but Imhotep smiled.

"The gold signifies that they are richly bestowing their blessings on us." He told her.

Imhotep raised his arm, pointing the blade of the dagger at his heart. Then with a swift and fluid movement, he pierced his own heart with the dagger. Just as quickly, he withdrew it from his chest and Evie noticed that the golden blade now glinted with an unearthly glow…visual evidence of a portion of his immortality.

Imhotep took a step closer to her and positioned the knife over her heart, maintaining a reassuring gaze with her to help soothe her fears. Though Evie's fear did spike, she was able to rein it in as she held Imhotep's deep gaze full of love. To show she was ready and that she could handle this, Evie gave him a nod.

Swiftly Imhotep drove the dagger into her heart before withdrawing it just as fast. The sharp intense pain that she felt was crippling but amazingly it vanished almost as quickly as it had come. Instead a feeling unlike any other that she had ever experienced spread through her body. It was strength and it was power. It was elation. It was hope. It was love and devotion.

Imhotep rested the dagger on the table and drew her against him. He captured her lips with hers and as they kissed, Evie reveled in their shared eternal love. Though her eyes were closed as they kissed, Evie became aware of a brilliant light.

Opening her eyes, Evie ended their kiss as she saw with shock that she and Imhotep were the sources of that brilliant light. The two of them were practically glowing. Looking over at Rick, Ardeth and Jonathon, she saw that they were having to shield their eyes from the light that her and Imhotep were giving off.

As the light began to fade, Evie turned her curious and slightly alarmed gaze to Imhotep who smiled happily.

"The light indicates our eternal bond to one another and your rise as an immortal being." Imhotep explained, running his thumb tenderly and lovingly against her cheek.

As she and Imhotep shared another kiss, the last of the bright light faded, returning the room to its normal lighting.

"Are you okay Evie?" Rick asked.

Evie turned her gaze over to him, Jonathon and Ardeth and smiled brightly. "I've never been better."

"Are you sure ole mum because that looked rather painful." Jonathon stated, putting a hand to his chest and cringing at the thought of a dagger piercing his chest.

"I'm fine, Jonathon." Evie laughed. "The immortality I received instantly healed the wound."

"Do you feel different?" Jonathon questioned.

"Yes." Evie nodded. "I feel ageless, like time has no hold on me. I feel strong and full of life."

She gave a teasing smile. "But I'm still Evie. It's not like I've become someone else."

"So, what now?" Jonathon asked.

"We go home." Evie replied.

"Sounds good to me." Rick agreeded.

Jonathon's expression lit up and his gaze darted to the gold filling most of the room.

"Yes Jonathon, you may take some of the gold with you." Evie stated already knowing what Jonathon had been about to ask.

"I'll go get some saddle bags to put the gold in." Jonathon excitedly said before whirling about and heading out of the temple doorway.

"I better go with him to make sure he doesn't get lost." Rick remarked before leaving the room.

Outside under the late afternoon sun and just outside the exterior wall of Hamunaptra, Evie sat atop of her camel, her jewelry glistening under the sun's rays. Astride his own camel, Imhotep was at her left while Jonathon and Rick were to her right. Each of them had a saddle bag full of gold on the backs of their camels. Ardeth, who was seated atop a camel that was standing directly before them all, did not have a saddle bag full of gold. Instead it held the golden Book of Amun-ra that she had given over to him for him and his fellow Med-Jai to keep safe.

Ardeth bid Rick and Jonathon farewell and gave a somewhat reluctant but polite nod to Imhotep before turning his gaze upon Evie.

"The Med-jai's purpose in the ancient times was to protect and serve the pharaoh and the royal family. We, the Med-Jai are sworn to do so. Now that we know we have a reincarnated royal among us, the oath back then still holds for today. If you have any need of us Evelyn, Princess Nefertiri, just call upon the Med-Jai and we will aid you."

"May god be with you." Ardeth gave them the blessing salute of the Med-Jai before he started out across the desert to return home.

Turning their camels towards the direction of Cairo, they began their slow journey back home. Imhotep had offered to get them there faster using his sand tornado form, but Rick and Jonathon had instantly refused muttering that they preferred traditional means of travel. Evie had found the exchange comical but Rick and Jonathon had found it less than amusing.

Looking ahead out at the distant horizon, Evie mused over this latest adventure and marveled at the way everything had turned out. Never in a million years could she have predicted that she would fall for Imhotep and become eternally bound to him. When Evie glanced over at Imhotep, he noticed her gaze and gave her a warm smile. Once again seeing their shared love reflected in his eyes, she knew without a doubt that she wouldn't want it any other way.

 _3 months later_

Evie stood against the second story balcony railing of her and Imhotep's home. With both of her hands resting atop the railing, she cast her gaze out to survey the city of Cairo, the Nile and the pyramids of Giza in the distance. The sun was sinking on the horizon and she could see a faint hint of stars appearing in the sky. A cool breeze blew across her skin and teased her hair.

She sensed his presence before she heard him but she didn't move from her spot. Evie smiled as two strong arms encircled her from behind and pulled her against a firm body. She felt his breath against her ear. Closing her eyes, she savored the feel of his embrace.

"Have I told you that there is not a day that goes by that I'm not overjoyed to have you as mine own?" Imhotep said lowly in her ear.

Evie smiled and turned about in his embrace to face him. Reaching up she put her arms around his neck. "You tell me every day."

"And don't forget that I constantly look forward to spending all of eternity with you." She added, losing herself in the depths of his gaze.

"Forever may not be long enough for our love." Imhotep replied, before capturing her lips with his.

 **This concludes Imhotep and Evie's story. I hope you found the ending more than satisfying and that you've enjoyed reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it!**

 **To all of you who have stuck with this story, been patient for updates, favorited/followed this story and wrote reviews...THANK YOU! You guys are awesome! I love reading your reviews and look forward to your remarks on this last chapter!**


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